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Connecticut 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 Connecticut'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?
Connecticut 2021 survey responses
What is your state’s process for federal grant applications and the approval process?
“Decentralized. Agencies monitor grant opportunities and apply when appropriate. Assistance in identifying funding opportunities is also provided by a representative of the Governor’s office located in Washington, D.C.”
What is the approval process when the legislature is not in session?
“With the exception of federal block grants, federal funds are not subject to legislative approval. Pursuant to state law, block grant allocation plans are reviewed by legislative committees when the legislature is not in session.”
How does the legislature monitor the intent of federal grants?
“With the exception of federal block grants, federal funds are not subject to legislative review and approval.”
What is your state’s contingency plan for state financing in the case of losses or decline in federal funds?
“Case-by-case. The current economic environment, characterized by slow revenue growth for many states, generally means that the state does not have the resources to pick up federal funding reductions.”
What is your state’s quality control process for tracking the effectiveness of federal funds?
“Agency-specific. No statewide process.”
Does your state attempt to estimate the cost of federal fund requirements? If so, how?
“Case-by-case.”
How does your state prioritize federal funds to best meet the needs of constituents?
“There is much political interest in pursuing all available federal funding opportunities, but federal requirements and “strings” attached to grants (e.g., matching requirements or adoption of changes to laws or policies) may disincentivize pursuit of certain grants.”
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?
“All federal funds are “off budget” (i.e., non-appropriated), but have specific identifiers within the state’s accounting system.”
Who has decision rights over American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Fund allocations in your state?
“The Connecticut legislature passed, and the Governor signed into law, Special Act 21-1, giving the legislature a role in allocating State Fiscal Recovery Funds. No funds may be expended unless consistent with the allocation plan adopted via public or special act. (Special Act 21-15, as amended by Public Act 21-1 of the June 2021 special session, establishes the current allocation plan for these funds.)”
Who has decision rights over Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund allocations in your state?
“The executive branch agency designated as the recipient of these federal grant funds, the (Connecticut) State Department of Education.”
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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