Important updates on possible legislation and requests from the N.C. Pandemic Recovery Office, both of which could affect funding distributions
A couple quick updates on American Rescue Plan funding as we continue to wait for additional spending guidance from the U.S. Treasury.
SB 172 Additional COVID-19 Response & Relief
This week, the N.C. Senate considered SB 172 Additional COVID-19 Response & Relief. Among other things, that bill would set up the structure for the state to distribute funds from the federal American Rescue Plan to all nonentitlement cities that are not receiving funds directly from the federal government. The bill proposes to appropriate the ARP funds to the N.C. Office of State Budget & Management for distribution to cities. It passed one Senate committee this week and still needs to be considered by one additional committee and the full Senate before moving to the N.C. House for further consideration. We will keep you apprised of the bill and any additional details that are available as it makes its way through the legislative process.
N.C. Pandemic Recovery Office
In the meantime, in preparation for the distribution of ARP funds, the N.C. Pandemic Recovery Office is putting together a list of questions and information needed that will help facilitate the distribution of ARP funds at the state level. This information request, which may all be labeled as “precontracting” information, could be sent to municipalities as soon as next week. We will be helping to get the word out and answer any questions you may have about this information here, on our ARP website. Your attention and response to any precontracting information requests should help minimize any delays in your municipality receiving the ARP funds that it has been allocated.
We will continue to keep you updated on this and any other new information here, on the ARP on the League’s ARP website. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to email arp@nclm.org or NCLM Director of Municipal Research & Strategic Initiatives Chris Nida directly at cnida@nclm.org.