Overview:
Under a newly introduced bill, tribes could get a cut of public health emergency funding.
A new bill would require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to include tribes in funding for public health emergencies.
The CDC Tribal Public Health Security and Preparedness Act aims to update the CDC’s public health emergency grant program to include tribal governments and tribal organizations alongside state and local entities. It was introduced last week by Rep. Melanie A Stansbury (D-NM) and is co-sponsored by Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM)
The bill raises authorized funds from $685 million to $750 million, 5% of which must be distributed to Native communities. It requires at least 10 cooperative agreements with tribes, with minimum award amounts determined through tribal consultation. While state and local entities typically have to match funds, that requirement is waived for tribes and tribal organizations. The bill also stipulates no spending deadline for the funds, meaning they can be deployed per the tribal recipients’ timeline.
The bill states that the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services may alter program rules to better work for tribal entities.
The bill also requires HHS to consult with tribes on program designs that affect them.
Within two years of the program’s implementation, HHS and its agency, IHS, must submit a report to Senate and House subcommittees detailing the program’s launch, challenges, a detailed breakdown of tribal applicants and recipients, waivers granted, and recommendations for improvements and analysis of Tribal public health emergency infrastructure limitations.
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