Kansas 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 Kansas' 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?
Kansas 2021 survey responses
What is your state’s process for federal grant applications and the approval process?
“Currently, the State of Kansas does not have a centralized office to manage and coordinate the applications and approval process or the receipt of most federal funds. State agencies and local governments are responsible for grant management, including identifying new grant opportunities, fiscal and program management, and audit compliance. Audits and compliance efforts are conducted by the agencies, Kansas Legislative Post Audit, or outside private firms.
"For certain COVID-19 state and local relief funds in the American Rescue Plan Act, the 2021 Legislature approved a process for COVID-19-related federal funds expenditures. The “Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Executive Committee, which comprises seven members from both the private sector and public service, will recommend how to best spend the funds. Any recommendations from the SPARK Executive Committee must be approved by the State Finance Council, which comprises legislative leadership and Governor Kelly. This process is outlined in 2021 SB 159, Sec. 63(a).
"As part of the state’s effort to track federal COVID-19 awards in the state, the Governor created the Office of Recovery in the Governor’s Office that assists state agencies and local governments for tracking federal awards and the required reporting to the various federal agencies.”
What is the approval process when the legislature is not in session?
“All state agencies, in the appropriations bill, are granted general authority to receive and expend federal funds. However, if a state agency has been awarded a new federal grant when the Legislature is not in session and a federal fund has not been created for inclusion in the appropriations bill with which to receipt and expend those dollars, the agency would request executive directive action with the Division of the Budget. Executive Directives are formal orders issued by the Governor that implement certain personnel and fiscal actions that are purely executive in character and considered quasi-legislative. Upon receipt of such requests, an Executive Directive is drafted and must be reviewed and approved by the Director of the Budget. Five copies are signed by the Governor, one of which is retained by the Governor, and one of each of the remaining signed copies is retained by the Division of the Budget, the Secretary of the Senate, the Chief Clerk of the House, and the Secretary of State’s Office. The copies are ultimately sent to the Secretary of State’s Office for filing and become a part of the agency’s approved budget. The creation of the new federal fund is initiated by the agency for inclusion in the Statewide Management, Accounting & Reporting Tool (SMART) with the Division of Accounts and Reports and in the Internet Budget and Reporting System (IBARS) with the Division of the Budget.”
How does the legislature monitor the intent of federal grants?
“The Kansas Legislature monitors the intent of federal grants and provides oversight of federal funds in the budget through information obtained from staff and agencies that report to the Legislature throughout the legislative process.”
What is your state’s contingency plan for state financing in the case of losses or decline in federal funds?
“Depending on the type of event, resulting in either a decline or a loss of federal funds, the Division of the Budget and the Division of Accounts & Reports have worked with state agencies in a number of ways. In the case of a federal shutdown, when funding was unavailable for only a short period of time, state agencies have been authorized to allow federal funds to temporarily go negative or to draw down federal dollars in advance. Should federal dollars be reduced the state would have to determine as a matter of policy to offset any reductions with additional state support or reduce the level of services provided.”
What is your state’s quality control process for tracking the effectiveness of federal Funds?
“Tracking the effectiveness of federal funds is undertaken annually during the budget review process within the Division of the Budget as well as the legislative process within the Kansas Legislative Research Division through the analysis of program costs, the level of funding and performance metrics. Federal law outlines what is required of states in the way of reporting and compliance. Reporting requirements are coordinated by the Federal Reporting Team within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer and audits regarding compliance with federal laws, regulations, contracts, and other requirements are the responsibility of the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit. State agencies are responsible for meeting other requirements specific to individual awards spelled out by federal acts.”
Does your state attempt to estimate the cost of federal fund requirements? If so, how?
“In 2015, the Kansas Division of Legislative Post Audit conducted an audit related to the costs associated with maintaining and implementing federal funds titled “Federal Funds: Evaluating State Spending Required by Federally Funded Programs.” A link to the full report is found here: http://www.kslpa.org/assets/files/reports/r-15-016.pdf.”
How does your state prioritize federal funds to best meet the needs of constituents?
“Any state matching funds for federal funds must go through the state’s budgeting process where ultimately the Kansas Legislature prioritizes the funds with an appropriation. Any funds that do not require matching funds still go through the appropriations 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?
“In Kansas, food stamps are off-budget, but are tracked by the Department for Children and Families and included it is annual budget request submitted to the Division of the Budget. Unemployment benefits are included in the budget for the Department of Labor. Likewise, the Department of Labor tracks unemployment benefits and includes information related to these benefits in its annual budget request that is submitted to the Division of the Budget.”
Who has decision rights over American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Fund allocations in your state?
“For certain COVID-19 state and local relief funds in the American Rescue Plan Act, the 2021 Legislature approved a process for COVID-19-related federal funds expenditures. The “Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Executive Committee, which comprises seven members from both the private sector and public service, will recommend how to best spend the funds. Any recommendations from the SPARK Executive Committee must be approved by the State Finance Council, which comprises legislative leadership and Governor Kelly. This process is outlined in 2021 SB 158, Sec. 63(a).”
Who has decision rights over Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund allocations in your state?
“The Kansas Department of Education is overseeing the process as the state education agency; however, each of the individual districts in the state are responsible for and accountable for the distribution and tracking of funds.”
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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