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Illinois 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 Illinois' responses to Ballotpedia's 2021 survey.

Background

See also: State survey of the federal grant review process, 2021

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?

Illinois' 2021 survey responses

What is your state’s process for federal grant applications and the approval process?

"State agencies apply for and are awarded Federal grants following the protocol of the agency. GOMB is involved in the coordination of Maintenance of Effort commitments on a state-wide basis."

What is the approval process when the legislature is not in session?

"In compliance with the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (30 ILCS 708, GATA), state agencies are required to document all Federal and State grant awards in Illinois' centralized database - Catalog of State Financial Assistance (CSFA). The CSFA, populated by state agencies, is publicly available from the Grant Accountability and Transparency Unit (GATU) website, http://www.grants.illinois.gov."

How does the legislature monitor the intent of federal grants?

"GATA mandates program-specific data elements for inclusion in the CSFA. The intent of each grant is documented through the required data elements. Legislators and the public can use the CSFA and its data elements to be informed about Federal and State funds received by Illinois."

What is your state’s contingency plan for state financing in the case of losses or decline in federal funds?

"Given Illinois' budget challenges, state agencies are well aware of the need to prioritize efforts, manage costs, monitor funding, and consider alternative sources of funding where possible. Agencies continue to work with GOMB to maximize funding utilization and ensure service delivery."

What is your state’s quality control process for tracking the effectiveness of federal funds?

"In compliance with Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), all grants awarded by the State of Illinois are required to include performance reporting. Illinois grant agreements specify performance measurements which directly correlate to the performance requirements in the federal notice of award. As federally required, grant reporting associates financial expenditures to grant performance. State agencies oversee the performance results of their grantees in comparison to the goals and/or milestones articulated in the grant agreement."

Does your state attempt to estimate the cost of federal fund requirements? If so, how?

"One of the drivers of GATA legislation was to eliminate and reduce duplicative grant administrative functions. Requirements are met once through centralized systems with information that is shared across grant awarding agencies. As documented in Illinois’ 2022 Budget Book and GATA’s annual report, Illinois estimates that in state fiscal year 2020, the state avoided approximately $100,000 in grant administrative costs and eliminated over a million state agency labor hours by centralizing and standardizing 6 grant functions."

How does your state prioritize federal funds to best meet the needs of constituents?

"The state's budget process, a collaboration between the Governor and the Legislature, establishes funding priorities based on constituent needs. However, funding mandates dictate how a significant portion of the available budget must be spent. GOMB provides guidance to the Governor and the Legislature regarding available funding and mandated expenditures to inform the budgeting process."

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?

"Illinois utilizes federal funds for SNAP and unemployment benefits. The state agencies that administer these programs maintain systems to track federal funding received and expended."

Who has decision rights over American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Fund allocations in your state?

"The Governor and the Legislature collaborate in the budget-making process to appropriate ARPA funds. Those actions to date can be found on the Governor's Office of Management and Budget website here: https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/budget/Documents/Budget%20Book/FY2022-Budget-Book/FY22_Enacted_ARPA_Summary_6.21.21.pdf"

Who has decision rights over Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund allocations in your state?

"The Governor and Legislature collaborate on the expenditure of ESSER funds. The General Assembly appropriates the funds, the Governor signs the appropriations bill, and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) allocates those funds. As part of the federal guidance, 90% of the allocation is distributed through the Title I formula."

Other state survey responses

See also: State responses by question to the federal grant review process survey, 2021

Click on a state below to view its responses to the 2021 survey on the federal grant review process:

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Pew Charitable Trusts, "Federal Funds Hover at a Third of State Revenue," October 2019
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