COVID-19 in Indian Country
Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin will be testifying about Title I of the CARES Act at a U.S. Senate hearing on June 10, 2020.

Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin and Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza issued a statement following the enactment of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Flexibility Act.

A project manager employed by a major retailer was charged for allegedly filing fraudulent bank loan applications seeking more than $8 million in forgivable loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

The Small Business Administration is setting aside $10 billion of Round 2 funding for the Paycheck Protection Program to be lent exclusively by Community Development Financial Institutions.

NAFOA is still seeking responses to our Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program Survey. The purpose of this survey is to understand the extent of tribal participation in the program.

U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin issued a statement on the success of the Paycheck Protection Program.

Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) applauded the decision by the Federal Housing Finance Agency to allow the nation’s eleven Federal Home Loan Banks to accept Payment Protection Program loans as collateral.

Many Tribes depend on the businesses they own and operate to fund essential services in Indian Country because Tribal governments, unlike state and local governments, do not have a traditional tax base.

Three Indian nations whose businesses were excluded from the first round of the Paycheck Protection Program filed suit against the Trump administration on April 23, 2020.

The Paycheck Protection Program is a loan program within the CARES Act that allows businesses with fewer than 500 employees to apply for loans to cover payroll and other operational expenses that have been disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tribal leaders, tribal governments, businesses and other tribal stakeholders are invited to participate in a teleconference focusing on Round 2 of the Paycheck Protection Program.

Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) announced that small tribal gaming enterprises under 500 employees can now apply for financial relief through the Payment Protection Program, a move welcomed by tribal leaders.

'We appreciate the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Small Business Administration for working with us to allow Indian gaming enterprises to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program.'

Following calls from Senator Kyrsten Sinema, the Treasury Department and the Small Business Administration reversed course and made administrative changes to allow Tribal gaming operations to apply for and receive Paycheck Protection Program funding.

Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) announced that small tribal gaming enterprises under 500 employees can now apply for financial relief through the Payment Protection Program.

The Small Business Administration released revised regulatory guidelines that permit size-eligible small gaming entities to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program.

Native American Bank has supported applications for nearly $16 million in Paycheck Protection Program funding to alleviate the COVID-19 health and economic crisis in Indian Country.

The Small Business Administration published an interim final rule including a change to their guidance regarding the Paycheck Protection Program that would make most tribal gaming operations eligible.

The Small Business Administration on April 24, 2020, updated guidance for the Paycheck Protection Program, ensuring participation from small tribal gaming operations.