U.S. Sens. Patty Murray, D-Washington, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, recently introduced new legislation to make tribal governments eligible to apply for grants under the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP).
Currently, tribal governments are ineligible to apply for funding under DCIP’s grant authority, despite their role in supporting military installations and defense communities nationwide, according to a news release from Murray.
“From Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Fairchild Air Force Base and everywhere in between, tribal nations — like Yakama, Suquamish and many more — do critical work to support military installations in Washington state and throughout the country,” Murray said. “That’s why this legislation is an important step to expand eligibility to DCIP grants. Tribes play a key role in our military readiness—they should be eligible for these funds just like any other community would be.”
Historically, DCIP provides grants to state and local governments for off-base infrastructure that supports military installations.
These investments strengthen military readiness and benefit service members and their families by improving transportation, schools, utilities, hospitals and other essential infrastructure, Murray stated.
Tribal nations that neighbor military bases are often already doing this work to support critical infrastructure projects that support military communities, the release stated.
The bill would amend the current language to include tribal governments as eligible “state and local” entities to apply for DCIP grants.
U.S. Reps. Emily Randall, D-Washington, and Rob Wittman, R-Virginia, are leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
