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Georgia 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 Georgia'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?
Georgia 2021 survey responses
What is your state’s process for federal grant applications and the approval process?
“O.C.G.A 45-12-110 requires state department, board, bureau, commission, authority, or other state agency, except the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and its employees, intending to apply for any new program of federal assistance under any federal program shall notify the House Budget and Research Office, the Senate Budget and Evaluation Office, and the director of the Office of Planning and Budget of its intention to apply for such federal assistance at least 30 days prior to filing the application for such assistance. Such notification shall include a summary description of the proposed federal assistance project, the amount of federal funds to be requested, the amount of state matching funds, if any, to be required in connection with obtaining federal assistance, and the period of time to be covered by the proposed federal assistance project. As soon as practicable after receiving a notification provided for in Code Section 45-12-110, it shall be the duty of the legislative budget analyst to analyze the short-term and long-term impact the proposed federal assistance project would have on state budgetary and fiscal matters if the application for federal assistance were approved. Upon completion of said analysis, the legislative budget analyst shall forward a copy of same to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, each member of the appropriations committees of the House of Representatives and Senate, and to any member of the General Assembly requesting a copy of said analysis.”
What is the approval process when the legislature is not in session?
“See question above.”
How does the legislature monitor the intent of federal grants?
“The intent of federal grants is monitored through the legislative budget offices. The duty of the legislative budget analyst is to analyze the short-term and long-term impact of federal grants and provide analysis to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, each member of the appropriations committees of the House of Representatives and Senate, and to any member of the General Assembly requesting a copy of said analysis.”
What is your state’s contingency plan for state financing in the case of losses or decline in federal funds?
“The state will evaluate the need for program services provided by the federal grant.”
What is your state’s quality control process for tracking the effectiveness of federal funds?
“O.C.G.A. 45-12-178 requires the state to engage in an ongoing review of all programs. This includes programs funded with both state and federal dollars.”
Does your state attempt to estimate the cost of federal fund requirements? If so, how?
“Yes. Annually, the head of each budget unit, other than the General Assembly and the Judiciary, submits to the Office of Planning and Budget estimates of the financial requirements of the budget unit for the next fiscal year. While these projections focus highly on identifying incremental costs for growth and annual business operations, they also account for changes in federal fund requirements including match funds.”
How does your state prioritize federal funds to best meet the needs of constituents?
“State organizations are instructed to spend all resources in accordance with their stated purpose in Federal and/or State law, and in a manner which maximizes the benefit to the customer and/or the efficiency of the program. When an obligation/expenditure/expense is incurred for purposes for which federal, state, and other funds are available, agencies should first utilize federal funds to meet the obligation.”
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?
“Federal funds that are not specifically listed in the appropriations bill are continually appropriated in the exact amounts and for the purposes authorized and directed by the federal government in making the grant. Actual federal funds received are amended regularly into each agency’s annual operating budget (AOB) and approved by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.”
Who has decision rights over American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Fund allocations in your state?
"The governor has decision rights over ARPA allocations. Governor Brian Kemp has appointed state agency leaders along with members of the Georgia General Assembly to serve on three bipartisan review committees that have been tasked with reviewing, evaluating, and making funding recommendations to the Governor on the grant applications. The three review committees are focused on broadband; water and sewer infrastructure; and the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic."
Who has decision rights over Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund allocations in your state?
"Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds have been awarded to each state’s education agency; in Georgia, this is the State Board 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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