I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6836 
To amend the CARES Act to provide for payments to the Indian Health 
Service, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and urban Indian organiza-
tions from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 12, 2020 
Mr. RUIZ (for himself, Ms. KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma, Mr. GALLEGO, 
Mr. KILMER, Mr. COOK, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Ms. 
HAALAND, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. MULLIN, and Mr. HECK) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ap-
propriations 
A BILL 
To amend the CARES Act to provide for payments to the 
Indian Health Service, Indian Tribes, Tribal organiza-
tions, and urban Indian organizations from the Public 
Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Tribal Health Care 
Protection Fund Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROVIDING FOR PAYMENTS TO INDIAN HEALTH 
SERVICE, INDIAN TRIBES, TRIBAL ORGANIZA-
TIONS, AND URBAN INDIAN ORGANIZATIONS 
FROM PUBLIC HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERV-
ICES EMERGENCY FUND. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title VIII of division B of the 
CARES Act (Public Law 116–136) is amended by adding 
at the end of the matter under the heading ‘‘Department 
of Health and Human Services—Office of the Secretary— 
Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund’’ the 
following: 
‘‘For an additional amount for ‘Public Health 
and 
Social 
Services 
Emergency 
Fund’, 
$1,700,000,000, to remain available until expended, 
to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, 
domestically or internationally, for necessary ex-
penses to provide reimbursement, through contracts, 
compacts, or other agreements as authorized by the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act of 1975 (25 U.S.C. 450), or through other 
mechanisms for federally operated Indian Health 
Service facilities, for health care-related expenses or 
lost revenues incurred by the Indian Health Service, 
Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and urban In-
dian 
organizations 
that 
are 
attributable 
to 
coronavirus: Provided, That these funds may not be 
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used to reimburse expenses or losses that have been 
reimbursed from other sources: Provided further, 
That payments under this paragraph shall not be in 
the form of an interest loan or otherwise, but rather 
shall be one-time payments for related health care 
expenses or lost revenues: Provided further, That re-
cipients of payments under this paragraph shall sub-
mit reports and maintain documentation as the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services determines 
are needed to ensure compliance with conditions that 
are imposed by this paragraph for such payments, 
and such reports and documentation shall be in such 
form, with such content, and in such time as the 
Secretary may prescribe for such purpose: Provided 
further, That ‘Indian Tribes and Tribal organiza-
tions’ have such meaning as defined under section 4 
of the Indian Self-Determination and Education As-
sistance Act: Provided further, That ‘urban Indian 
organization’ has such meaning as defined under 
section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement 
Act: Provided further, That the Secretary shall, on 
a rolling basis, review applications and make pay-
ments under this paragraph in this Act: Provided 
further, That funds appropriated under this para-
graph in this Act shall be available for health care 
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services, building or construction of temporary struc-
tures, leasing of properties, medical supplies and 
equipment, including personal protective equipment 
and testing supplies, increased workforce and 
trainings, emergency operation centers, retrofitting 
facilities, and surge capacity: Provided further, That, 
in this paragraph, the term ‘payment’ means a pre- 
payment, prospective payment, or retrospective pay-
ment, as determined appropriate by the Secretary: 
Provided further, That payments under this para-
graph shall be made in consideration of the most ef-
ficient payment systems practicable to provide emer-
gency payment: Provided further, That to be eligible 
for a payment under this paragraph, the Indian 
Health Service and each Indian Tribe, Tribal organi-
zation, and urban Indian organization shall submit 
to the Secretary an application that includes a state-
ment justifying the need of the Indian Health Serv-
ice or such Tribe, Tribal organization, or urban In-
dian organization, respectively, for such payment.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply as if included in the enactment 
of the CARES Act (Public Law 116–136). 
Æ 
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