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Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts' 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?
Massachusetts 2021 survey responses
What is your state’s process for federal grant applications and the approval process?
“Agencies assess and, with appropriate agency leadership approval, apply for federal grant opportunities. Once approved, the expenditure of federal grant funds must be authorized through the state accounting system. The Legislature includes federal grant spending authorizations in its annual budget. Federal grant authorizations can also be set up in the state’s accounting system on an ad hoc basis by the Comptroller and the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, once the relevant state agency provides verification that the funds have been received.”
What is the approval process when the legislature is not in session?
“Agency heads, in conjunction with their respective secretariats, authorize the application for and approval of federal grants. Legislative approval is often provided but not strictly speaking required.”
How does the legislature monitor the intent of federal grants?
“A&F defers this question to the Legislature.”
What is your state’s contingency plan for state financing in the case of losses or decline in federal funds?
“State agencies monitor federal grant funds and make contingency plans as needed. The annual budget recommendation process includes the impact of federal grant spending, e.g., understanding whether or not federal grant spending will require a transition to or augmentation of state spending in the future. The state also has a D.C. office that works with the MA Congressional delegation and helps plan for changes in federal funding.”
What is your state’s quality control process for tracking the effectiveness of federal funds?
“The process is decentralized; Executive Branch agencies, reporting to their respective secretariats, are responsible for tracking the effectiveness of federal funds.”
Does your state attempt to estimate the cost of federal fund requirements? If so, how?
“Through the application of fringe and indirect charges, the state recaptures overhead costs of federal funds. Other costs, such as maintenance of effort, are managed at the agency or secretariat level.”
How does your state prioritize federal funds to best meet the needs of constituents?
“The process is decentralized; agencies, guided in the Executive Branch by their respective secretariats, are responsible for assessing the value of federal grants and prioritizing accordingly.”
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 such as SNAP and unemployment benefits are spent and tracked through the state’s accounting system. Longer-term monitoring of effectiveness and need is the responsibility of the relevant agencies (in these cases, the Department of Transitional Assistance and the Division of Unemployment Assistance).”
Who has decision rights over American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Fund allocations in your state?
“The Commonwealth received approximately $5.3 billion through the ARPA State Fiscal Recovery Fund. The Governor allocated approximately $305 million of this amount, including $109 million for four municipalities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (Chelsea, Everett, Methuen, and Randolph), $55 million for health and human service worker pay, $50 million for workforce development efforts, $50 million for distressed hospitals, $31 million for inpatient psychiatric acute facilities, and $10 million for the VaxMillions Giveaway to incentivize vaccination. Further, the Legislature appropriated $75 million for a COVID-related paid sick leave program.
"On June 28, 2021, Governor Baker signed legislation to make the rest of the state’s allocation subject to legislative appropriation. On the same day, the Governor proposed a bill to appropriate approximately $2.9 billion of this aid. The proposal remains under review by the Legislature.”
Who has decision rights over Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund allocations in your state?
“As the SEA, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), determines the distribution allocations (90% of ESSER funds) for Local Education Agencies (LEAs). Once those allocations are made, LEAs have decisions rights over the funds consistent with the grant application they have submitted to and had approved by DESE. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has decision rights over the ESSER discretionary funds (10% of ESSER 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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