• The final rule simplifies administration so small businesses operated by Tribal governments or on Tribal lands are presumed to be disproportionately impacted by the public health and negative economic impacts of the pandemic. This means that Tribal businesses may receive loans or grants to mitigate financial hardship, as well as technical assistance and other business planning help, as well as access a broader set of capital expenditures and support services – from rehabilitation of commercial properties to support for microbusinesses. • Treasury includes Tribal development districts – which are the commercial centers for Tribal hospitality, gaming, tourism, and entertainment industries – in the list of impacted industries eligible to receive aid that responds to those impacts. • The final rule allows recipients to cover payroll and covered benefits for public safety, public health, and human services staff for the portion of time spent responding to COVID-19. The rule also provides a broader menu of options for recipients to restore and support their public sector workforce – such as: o hiring public sector staff, up to 7.5% above their pre-pandemic workforce levels to make up for underinvestment since the Great Recession; o providing funds to employees that experienced pay cuts or furloughs; o avoiding layoffs; and o providing retention incentives.
Premium Pay
• The final rule delivers more streamlined options to provide premium pay, by broadening the share of eligible workers who can receive premium pay without a written justification while maintaining a focus on lower-income and frontline workers performing essential work.
o The Tribal government workforce is identified as eligible workers in critical infrastructure sectors.
Water, Sewer & Broadband Infrastructure
• The final rule significantly broadens eligible broadband infrastructure investments to address challenges with broadband access, affordability, and reliability, and adds additional eligible water and sewer infrastructure investments, in recognition of the unique challenges facing many recipients in delivering clean water and high-speed broadband to their communities.
Final Rule Effective Date
The final rule takes effect on April 1, 2022. Recipients can choose to take advantage of the final r ule’s flexibilities and simplif ications now, even ahead of the effective date. Treasury will not
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