Legislation & Politics

Stimulus Funding to State and Local Governments: Update 2

Additional Resources on Implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

New helpful resources are now available as states and localities begin drawing down funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  The Council of State Governments released a very useful report that summarizes ARRA’s relevant provisions, including a list of every funded program and a timeline of the bill's deadlines. Find the resources at http://www.staterecovery.org/federal-assistance.

Education

The Department of Education has posted additional information on its website containing guidance on how schools can use the ARRA's State Stabilization funding for school modernization projects. http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/modernization/index.html.

Labor

The Department of Labor (DOL) released a program letter on unemployment insurance (UI) modernization, incentive payments, administrative funding and interest on advances.  Attachment VII of the program letter lists state allocations of incentive payments and administrative funding. UI Program Letter 14-09 (for details, visit http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?docn=2715)

DOL announced the start of the new temporary Federal Additional Compensation (FAC) program, which will provide a $25 weekly increase in unemployment compensation for eligible workers. These extra benefits are 100% federally-funded. Extra payments will begin as early as the week of March 1, 2009, for weeks of unemployment effective Feb. 22, 2009.  For details, look at DOL press release; UI Program Letter No. 11-09; UI Program Letter No. 13-09 on state admin funding for the FAC or http:///dol.gov/recovery/implementation.htm.

State and Local Law Enforcement

The Department of Justice announced state allocations of Byrne/Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) formula grant funding.  ARRA’s state allocations and more information on Byrne/JAG funding and other Justice programs is available at http://usdoj.gov/recovery. 

Nutrition

The Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service released guidance on ARRA funded nutrition programs, including dispensing increased administrative funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called Food Stamp program). http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/rules/Memo/09/022309.pdf.

Environment

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released guidance for ARRA's additional funding for clean water and drinking water revolving loan funds. States must obligate all funds within 12 months of enactment, devote at least 20% of the funds to 'green infrastructure' projects and provide at least 50% in the form of grants. The EPA released guidance to its regions, which can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/recovery/.

Weatherization

The Department of Energy and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced weatherization assistance: http://www.hud.gov/recovery/2009/02/27/comms/pr09-016.cfm.

If you have not already seen it, you may be interested in AFSCME’s earlier document “Stimulus Funding to State and Local Governments: Update 1”, which is available at http://www.afscme.org/legislation-politics/25161.cfm

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