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New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire'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?
New Hampshire 2021 survey responses
What is your state’s process for federal grant applications and the approval process?
“The state approval process for federal grants begins at the application stage. Grant applications are subject to the State’s intergovernmental review process. This process requires grant applications to be reviewed by various agencies/individuals within state government, the feedback of which is relayed back to the grant applicant for use in improving the grant application. The Comptroller’s office reviews the proposed grant budget to ensure budgeted amounts reflect the State’s ability to recuperate all grant costs including both direct and indirect costs anticipated to be incurred in the execution of the grant. Once funding is approved (awarded) by the federal government, federal funds may be readily accepted for expenditure provided a corresponding appropriation exists within the current legislatively approved budget. In cases where a corresponding appropriation does not exist, funding must be approved by the governor and executive council as well as the fiscal committee of the general court: Executive Council Approval: All state Departments and Agencies must seek approval of both receipt and expenditures of state and federal funds, budgetary transfers within the department, and all personal service contracts with a value of $10,000 and all contracts with a value of $25,000. (9/17/2014) (See Department of Administrative Services Manual of Procedures Section IV 3&4 and Sections B-F.) Fiscal Committee Approval (RSA 14-30-a, VI): Any non-state funds in excess of $100,000, whether public or private, including refunds of expenditures, federal aid, local funds, gifts, bequests, grants, and funds from any other non-state source, which under state law require the approval of governor and council for acceptance and expenditure, may be accepted and expended by the proper persons or agencies in the state government only with the prior approval of the fiscal committee of the general court. The approval process, as noted above, lies within either a 1) legislatively approved biennial operating budget or 2) the approval of both a) Governor and Council and b) the Fiscal Committee of the General Court.”
What is the approval process when the legislature is not in session?
“See last response. The Governor and Council and the Fiscal Committee meet year-round.”
How does the legislature monitor the intent of federal grants?
“The foundational process for the legislative monitoring of the intent of federal grants lies primarily within the State’s biennial budget process (Title I Chapter 9 of the State’s Revised Statutes Annotated). The State’s budget begins within the agency's submissions to the Governor and the Governor’s introduction of a preliminary budget to the legislature. As the budget progresses through the legislative process, it is presented with the actual expenditures of the prior period, the authorized appropriations of the current period, and the proposed appropriation levels of the upcoming biennium. During the legislative process, legislators discuss (and agencies support) amounts spent and accomplishments for the prior periods as related to upcoming periods which inherently monitors the intent of federal grants. Outside of the budget process, similar monitoring is performed of prior performances of grants being submitted for acceptance and expenditure to the Governor and Council as well as the Fiscal Committee of the General Court (provided the amounts being reviewed for acceptance are extensions of previously established programs). In addition to the legislative oversight of the acceptance and expenditure of federal funds, the annual single audit of federal expenditures identifies both major and high-risk federal programs for audit. The audit of these programs provides reasonable assurance they are executed in accordance with grant agreements as well as applicable federal laws and rules. The results of these audits are presented directly to the Fiscal Committee and made available to the Governor and Executive Council members. Any audits performed directly by federal agencies administering grant funds are statutorily required to be forwarded to the Legislative Budget Assistant’s Audit Division (RSA 14:35-a) which conducts state level performance, financial, and compliance audits of the State’s various agencies, programs, and functions. These audit reports contribute to the Audit Division’s risk-based approach to determine areas for audit. All LBA Audit reports are presented directly to the Fiscal Committee and made public upon issuance.”
What is your state’s contingency plan for state financing in the case of losses or decline in federal funds?
“General funds are not substituted in the case of any loss of federal funds. If a large-scale reduction in federal funds is anticipated, the Governor’s office and the Department of Administrative Services have historically reached out individually to each state agency to gauge budget impacts and develop plans to address the potential budget shortfalls through program and staff reduction, etc.”
What is your state’s quality control process for tracking the effectiveness of federal funds?
“Within each state agency utilizing federal funds, the organizational structure generally provides for both program management at the individual program level (micro) and overall grant management at the agency level (macro). At the state level, the Department of Administrative Services, Division of Accounting Services, employs a federal grant and cost allocation administrator. This position serves as a central resource for assistance to agency-level program managers and grant administrators and provides a point of contact for audits of federal programs, including the resolution of audit findings. Additionally, this position is responsible for ensuring the State’s indirect cost recovery laws (RSA 21-I:73 – 77) are executed in a manner which allows for the recovery of all indirect costs associated with the administration of federal programs.”
Does your state attempt to estimate the cost of federal fund requirements? If so, how?
“The costs of federal fund requirements are estimated and accounted for within the State’s indirect cost recovery system statutorily established in RSA 21-I:73-77 and RSA 124:11. Both agency-level indirect costs and statewide central service costs are charged against federal grants based on estimates or indirect cost recovery rates (applied to direct program costs) which are “trued up” each year based on actual costs of the prior period's estimates. This process ensures the costs of federal fund requirements are not only estimated but adjusted as necessary to be fully recovered (avoiding unintentional or unreported general funding of federal programs).”
How does your state prioritize federal funds to best meet the needs of constituents?
“Prioritization is accomplished in agencies applying for the funds. Federal funds used for capital projects are prioritized using the Capital Budget process, and those used for operating funds are prioritized through the operating budget process and through other legislation.”
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?
“Known (or confidently anticipated) federal funds are budgeted for within the State’s biennial budget. However, because a State cannot anticipate all federal funding for a two-year period, there are instances where funding becomes available that was not anticipated and budgeted for in the State’s legislatively enacted operating budget. These funds are subject to review and approval of both Governor and Council and the Fiscal Committee of the General Court. The State’s accounting system is capable of extracting information relative to individual appropriations providing the ability to track federal funds accepted and appropriated for outside of the State’s legislative budget process. Additionally, the State’s budget is crafted in comparison to actual expenditures of the prior year and the adjusted authorized appropriations of the current year (which would include appropriations authorized through the Governor and Council and the Fiscal Committee). The State expends most federal funds through the budget process; although there are certain federal funds expended outside the operating budget, such as the New Hampshire Health Protection Program (Medicaid expansion), as designated by enabling legislation. The spending associated with such programs flows through the states accounting system.”
Who has decision rights over American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Fund allocations in your state?
“The Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery are handling ARPA funds.”
Who has decision rights over Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund allocations in your state?
"N/A"
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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