Arizona responses to the federal grant review process survey, 2021
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States employ a variety of processes to apply for and administer federal grants. Ballotpedia's 2021 state survey of the federal grant review process examined the general processes applied by the 50 states in order to seek and distribute federal funds.
Research from the Pew Charitable Trusts found that federal funds made up 32% (roughly $639 billion) of all state revenue in 2017, making them the second-largest source of state revenue behind state tax collections.[1] States direct federal funds to government programs related to education, healthcare, transportation, infrastructure, and other policies.[1]
This page features Arizona's responses to Ballotpedia's 2021 survey.
Background
From August 5, 2021, to September 27, 2021, Ballotpedia staff contacted the executive and legislative budget offices of all 50 states via email and/or telephone to update a publicly available 2016 survey on state approaches to the federal grant review process.
Our staff contacted state officials with the following survey questions:
- Approval processes for federal grants
- What is your state’s process for federal grant applications and the approval process?
- What is your state’s approval process when the legislature is not in session?
- How does the legislature monitor the intent of federal grants? What legislative rules allow the state greater oversight of federal funds in the budgets?
- Contingency plans for the loss or decline of federal funds
- What is your state’s contingency plan in the case of a decline or loss of federal funds?
- Quality control processes for federal grants
- What is your state’s quality control process for tracking the effectiveness of federal funds?
- Does your state attempt to estimate the cost of federal fund requirements? If so, how?
- How does your state prioritize federal funds to best meet the needs of constituents?
- If your state doesn’t appropriate key federal funds like food stamps and unemployment benefits, are your state’s federal funds off-budget? How do you track this information?
Our staff also contacted state officials with the following two new survey questions regarding federal funds made available in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic:
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic funds
- Who has decision rights over American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Fund allocations in your state?
- Who has decision rights over Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund allocations in your state?
Arizona 2021 survey responses
What is your state’s process for federal grant applications and the approval process?
“State agencies are empowered to apply and receive grants directly. However, virtually all grant applications are processed through a centralized clearinghouse. The legislature is provided detailed reports on the expenditures from individual federal grants and projections of future grants. The legislature also receives more frequent and more detailed reports on grants of special interest.”
What is the approval process when the legislature is not in session?
“The process is the same.”
How does the legislature monitor the intent of federal grants?
“The legislature is provided detailed reports on the expenditures from individual federal grants and projections of future grants. The legislature also receives more frequent and more detailed reports on grants of special interest. Legislative staff often does specific, thorough research and investigation of the intent and flow of federal grants.”
What is your state’s contingency plan for state financing in the case of losses or decline in federal funds?
“Advance planning with state agencies to prepare for a decline or loss of federal funds allows the state to prepare both agencies and the public for the decline or loss of services or other activities. As a matter of policy, the state has generally not backfilled the decline or loss of federal funds.”
What is your state’s quality control process for tracking the effectiveness of federal funds?
“At the completion of each federal grant, the state agency must demonstrate that all federal requirements have been met, financials are reconciled, the original purpose of the grant has been met, and physical and intellectual property is accounted for.”
Does your state attempt to estimate the cost of federal fund requirements? If so, how?
“Agencies must evaluate the total costs of receiving a grant before applying.”
How does your state prioritize federal funds to best meet the needs of constituents?
“Agencies use an assortment of tools to ensure funds are in alignment with each agency’s mission, mandates, and needs of constituents.”
If your state does not appropriate key federal funds like food stamps and unemployment benefits, are your state’s federal funds off budget? How do you track this information?
“Key federal funds like SNAP and unemployment benefits are not subject to appropriation limitations, but are reported in detail in the Executive Budget Recommendation. Federal TANF and CCDF block grants are appropriated as required by federal law.”
Who has decision rights over American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Fund allocations in your state?
“The Executive has decision rights over these allocations. Prior to spending more than $10,000,000 from the SFRF, the Governor’s Office is required to report to the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Appropriations Committee chairpersons, and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee Director on the use of the monies and to report quarterly on all expenditures.”
Who has decision rights over Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund allocations in your state?
“The (elected) Superintendent of Public Instruction has decision rights over these allocations. Prior to spending more than $10,000,000 from the SFRF, the Superintendent is required to report to the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Appropriations Committee chairpersons, and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee Director on the use of the monies and to report quarterly on all expenditures.”
Other state survey responses
Click on a state below to view its responses to the 2021 survey on the federal grant review process:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
See also
- State survey of the federal grant review process, 2021
- State responses to the federal grant review process survey, 2021
- State responses by question to the federal grant review process survey, 2021
- Federalism
External links
Footnotes
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