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New Jersey 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 Jersey'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 Jersey 2021 survey responses
What is your state’s process for federal grant applications and the approval process?
“The federal grant applications process is decentralized in the State of NJ. Each Agency has its own application and approval process.”
What is the approval process when the legislature is not in session?
“The legislature is generally not involved in the application or approval process.”
How does the legislature monitor the intent of federal grants?
“The legislature does not monitor the intent of federal grants, however, the Office of Legislative Services reviews and approves material transfers of federal funds in certain instances, as well as approving all new grants over $500K and increases in grant awards greater than 25% of the previously anticipated amount. Additionally, the New Jersey State Auditor, which is part of the Legislative Branch, is responsible for periodic compliance and performance audits as part of their statutory requirement to monitor the expenditure of funds.”
What is your state’s contingency plan for state financing in the case of losses or decline in federal funds?
“Depending on the individual program, the agency/State could reduce, eliminate, or use State funds to continue the program.”
What is your state’s quality control process for tracking the effectiveness of federal funds?
“The federal grant quality control process is decentralized in the State of NJ. Each Agency has internal audit groups that perform this function. In addition, the Office of the State Comptroller has the authority to audit or investigate all state expenditures including sub-recipients and the effectiveness of various programs.”
Does your state attempt to estimate the cost of federal fund requirements? If so, how?
“Federal Funds estimates are completed during the budget process. Unless notified otherwise by the federal agency, estimates are based on prior year awards and any other data that must be factored into the applicable federal program.”
How does your state prioritize federal funds to best meet the needs of constituents?
“It is up to each agency to determine program priorities. Internal and external audits are used to verify the eligibility of recipients.”
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 food stamps and unemployment benefits that are distributed directly to the recipients are off-budget and not tracked through the State’s accounting system. The tracking of such funds is a decentralized process. Each State agency has its own tracking and monitoring systems.”
Who has decision rights over American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Fund allocations in your state?
“Decisions surrounding SFRF allocations are made in partnership between the Governor and Legislature. Each SFRF-funded program may be authorized in one of three ways:
- Enactment of a separate legislative bill, which requires the Governor’s signature;
- Governor’s proposal approved by a joint legislative committee called the Joint Budget Oversight Committee (JBOC) if the program is > $10M; or
- Approval by the Governor as part of the Governor’s $200M “carve-out” for pandemic-related purposes if the program is ≤ $10M.”
Who has decision rights over Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund allocations in your state?
“The various enacting federal laws of all three ESSER grants provide detailed allocation requirements for which each state recipient is bound to follow. For those portions of the programs that do not include statutory allocation methodologies, the State Education Agency, under the direction of the Commissioner and with consultation with the Governor determine the priorities for allocation/use 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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