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Arkansas 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 Arkansas' 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?
Arkansas 2021 survey responses
What is your state’s process for federal grant applications and the approval process?
“19-7-604. Federal grants, aids, and reimbursement procedures.
"(a) Requests for Federal Grants.
"(1) All formal applications for federal funds for grants, aids, and reimbursements originated by a state agency, board, commission, department, or institution shall be submitted to the Department of Finance and Administration prior to their submission to the granting source.
"(2) Applications shall include, in a manner prescribed by the Director of the Department of Finance and Administration, a summary of the proposed project.
"(3) The summary will include the indirect cost rate of the applicant agency, together with a projection of funds to be received as indirect cost reimbursement.
"(4) The department shall file with the Bureau of Legislative Research of the Legislative Council a summary of these applications for their review.
"(b) Preliminary Proposals.
"(1) Preliminary, pre-application, or informal proposals which may eventually result in a commitment of personnel, space, facilities, or state funds shall be submitted to the department at the time they are submitted to the federal granting agency.
"(2) In order to eliminate overlap, inefficiency, or a violation of legislative intent, the director may require a review of the proposal, soliciting comment from other agencies which might be affected, and may require the suspension of negotiations until the review is completed.
"(3) The provisions of this subsection shall not be applicable to institutions of higher education. However, a copy of the preliminary proposals shall be submitted to the department for the information of the department.
"(c) Procedural Requirements. The department shall prescribe procedures relative to preliminary proposals and formal applications for federal grants, aids, and reimbursements.
"(d) Receipt of Funds.
"(1) When any state agency receives notification of an award of any federal funds, grants, aids, or reimbursements, including unsolicited funds, the department shall be notified on forms to be prescribed by the director.
"(2) Included on such forms will be a section to report payments from federal funds for indirect cost reimbursements resulting from:
"(A) Overhead costs of the agency, board, commission, department, or institution; and
"(B) Overhead costs of state central services allocated to that agency, board, commission, department, or institution through the Consolidated Statewide Cost Allocation Plan.
"(3) The department will provide the Bureau of Legislative Research of the Legislative Council a summary of such notifications for review.
"(e) State Clearinghouse.
"(1) The Office of Intergovernmental Services is to function as the state clearinghouse for coordinating the review and comment process relative to applications for federal funding assistance under Executive Order 12372 and other provisions of this subchapter.
"(2) The department shall be responsible, in consultation with state and local elected officials, for developing procedures to implement the review and comment process for applications for federal funding assistance.
"HISTORY: Acts 1983, No. 498, § 4; A.S.A. 1947, § 13-761.”
What is the approval process when the legislature is not in session?
“See last answer.”
How does the legislature monitor the intent of federal grants?
“Refer to first answer.”
What is your state’s contingency plan for state financing in the case of losses or decline in federal funds?
“19-7-504. Recommendation by Governor -- Failure to appropriate.
"(a) Upon the convening of each regular session of the General Assembly, the Governor shall submit to the General Assembly and shall recommend to the General Assembly the appropriation of the necessary federal or state matching funds, or both, estimated to be necessary with respect to any program during the subsequent fiscal biennium.
"(b) If the General Assembly shall fail to appropriate funds for any program entered into with the federal government as authorized by the laws of the State of Arkansas, on June 30 following adjournment of the regular session of the General Assembly, the program shall cease to exist, and the State of Arkansas shall no longer participate in the program.”
What is your state’s quality control process for tracking the effectiveness of federal funds?
“Refer to first answer.”
Does your state attempt to estimate the cost of federal fund requirements? If so, how?
“Refer to first answer.”
How does your state prioritize federal funds to best meet the needs of constituents?
“Refer to first answer.”
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?
“N/A”
Who has decision rights over American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Fund allocations in your state?
"Per Executive Proclamation, EO21-08, the Governor created the Arkansas American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Steering Committee (AR ARP Steering Committee) and appointed 15 members, comprised of State Department Secretaries to members of the Arkansas General Assembly. This Committee was created to study and analyze the relief available to the State of Arkansas, its citizens, and businesses under the ARP Act, identify and prioritize the needs of the State of Arkansas, its citizens and businesses for the application of available relief, identify the most efficient practices and procedures to obtain and apply available relief and to make recommendations to the Governor on best uses of the American Rescue Plan Act funding.
"During the 2021 Biennial Session, the Arkansas legislature enacted Act 997 of 2021, Sections 38 and 39, whereas if a state agency, institution, or constitutional office receives any funding received for the ARP Act of 2021, they shall request a transfer of appropriation from the holding accounts established in Section 38. More info here: https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?file=997&path=%2FACTS%2F2021R%2FPublic%2F&ddBienniumSession=2021%2F2021R&Search="
Who has decision rights over Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund allocations in your state?
"Regarding the pieces of funding not directly allocated to the school districts, the Arkansas Dept of Education, working with the Governor’s office, would be making those decisions."
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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