SENATE PASSES LARGEST INVESTMENT IN NATIVE PROGRAMS IN HISTORY, MORE THAN $31 BILLION HEADING TO NATIVE COMMUNITIES

For Immediate Release

March 6, 2021

Contact:

Manu Tupper or Mike Inacay (Schatz) at [email protected]

SENATE PASSES LARGEST INVESTMENT IN NATIVE PROGRAMS IN HISTORY, MORE THAN $31 BILLION HEADING TO NATIVE COMMUNITIES

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, helped secure more than $31.2 billion in dedicated funding for Tribal governments and Native communities, comprising the largest investment in history for Native programs. The new funding will deliver immediate relief for hard-hit Native American families and support Tribal Nations as they build a bridge toward economic recovery.

'Native communities need relief. We listened and we took action. With more than $31 billion for Tribal governments and Native programs, the American Rescue Plan delivers the largest one-time investment to Native communities in history,'said Senator Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. 'This historic funding is a down payment on the federal government's trust responsibility to Native communities and will empower American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians to tackle COVID-19's impacts on their communities.'

The $31.2 billion investment in Native communities includes:

$20 billion for Tribal governments to combat COVID-19 and stabilize Tribal community safety-net programs through Treasury's State/Local 'Coronavirus Relief Fund'

$6+ billion for Native health systems

• Indian Health Service
  • $2.340 billion for COVID-19 vaccines, testing, tracing, mitigation, and workforce expenses
  • $2 billion for lost third-party medical billing reimbursements
  • $600 million for health facilities construction and sanitation programs
  • $500 million for clinical health services and Purchased/Referred Care
  • $420 million for mental and behavioral health
  • $140 million for improving health IT and telehealth access
  • $84 million for Urban Indian health programs
  • $10 million for potable water delivery
• Native Hawaiian Health Care Systems
  • $20 million set-aside for Papa Ola Lōkahi and the Native Hawaiian Health Care Systems within the Community Health Centers funding at the Health Resources and Services Administration

$1.248 billion for HUD Tribal & Native Hawaiian housing programs

• $498 million Tribal set-aside within Treasury's Homeowners Assistance Program for Tribes and Native housing programs
• $450 million for the Indian Housing Block Grant
• $280 million for the Indian Community Development Block Grant
• $15 million for technical assistance, administrative costs, and oversight
• $5 million for the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant

$1.1+ billion for Native education programs, including Bureau of Indian Education schools, Tribal education agencies, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Native Hawaiian education programs, and Alaska Native education programs

• $850 million for Bureau of Indian (BIE) education programs, BIE K-12 schools & dormitories, and Tribal Colleges and Universities
• $190 million for Department of Education grants to Tribal Education Agencies, Native Hawaiian education organizations, and Alaska Native education organizations
• $142+ million for Tribal Colleges and Universities through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
• $89+ million for Native-serving institutions of higher education, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund

$1+ billion for Native families

• $1+ billion for Tribal child care programs and supports
• $75 million for Tribal TANF grantees to provide assistance to families in need through the Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund

$900 million for Bureau of Indian Affairs programs

• $772.5 million for Tribal government services (i.e., general welfare assistance, assistance to Tribal governments, public safety, child welfare)

• $100 million for the Housing Improvement Program
• $20 million for potable water delivery
• $7.5 million for administrative costs and oversight

$600 million for Native communities' critical economic and infrastructure investments

• $500 million for Tribal governments to support capital investments in Native businesses within Treasury's State Small Business Credit Initiative
• $100 million for critical infrastructure projects in Native communities

$20 million to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on Native languages

• $20 million for a new emergency Native language preservation & maintenance grant program through the Administration for Native Americans to mitigate impacts of COVID-19 on Native language communities

$19 million for Native communities' efforts to combat domestic violence

• $18 million for Tribal awardees through the Family Violence Prevention & Services Act
• $1 million for 'Stronghearts' Native Domestic Violence Hotline

The American Rescue Plan Act was passed by the Senate today. The House is expected to consider the Senate bill this coming week.

###

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.