This article was published by Law360 and written by Michael Connor, Ken Salazar, Tom Strickland, Raya Treiser, Daniel Volchok and Chris Babbitt. A slightly shortened version also appeared as a client alert.
Excerpt: On March 27, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act was signed into law, setting in motion the distribution of funds and other relief mechanisms to counteract the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
The legislation contains several provisions to address the unique and disproportionate impacts of the pandemic in Indian Country. These involve a number of measures that include American Indian tribes within the range of entities eligible for relief (e.g., the $454 billion of authorized spending by the U.S. Department of the Treasury for loans, loan guarantees, and other investments to benefit distressed businesses, states, municipalities and tribal nations).
More specifically, however, are provisions that set aside a specific amount of funding to support tribal governments as they respond to and manage the significant costs and related impacts associated with COVID-19.
The following discussion identifies the current status of implementation efforts related to these measures and important considerations to keep in mind due to oversight requirements in the CARES Act.
