Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) enacted on March 27, 2020, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) received $453 million of the $909.7 million appropriated and transferred to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition, the CARES Act allotted funds to American Indian tribes and Alaska Native organizations from the U.S. Departments of the Treasury, Agriculture (USDA), and Health and Human Services (HHS). The BIA will have varying roles and responsibilities for the funding from Treasury, the USDA, and the HHS.
In this report we summarize the spend plans and timeframes for the BIA’s use of CARES Act funds from these multiple sources. We also provide information about potential fraud indicators and controls for effective oversight to help the BIA manage these funds.