State and local government organizations, including yours, received ARPA funds to enhance operations. We broke down the 242-page act into a conversation about the appropriate uses of ARPA funds, including records request management.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was a $1.9 trillion piece of legislation enacted in March 2021 to help the country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for the future. Key to the bill was $350 billion in direct aid to state and local governments through the State & Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. As initially passed, the funding was designed to help state and local governments respond to public health and economic emergency, protect infrastructure, and support government services. The U.S. Treasury confirmed that information technology use cases are eligible for ARPA funding in the Interim Final Rule and the Final Rule.
ARPA funding is released in two equal waves, or “tranches.” The first tranche began in May 2021, and the second tranche will be released one year after. Most governments received the first round of funding and are preparing for the second round.
Eligible state, territorial, municipality, county, and tribal governments may request their allocation through the Treasury Submission Portal. Before completing your request, gather your valid DUNS (data universal numbering system) number, an active SAM (system for awards management) registration, and payment information (including an EIN (entity identification number) , name, contact information, and title of your authorized representative and financial institution information. Request fiscal recovery funds now.
Since the original legislation in March 2021, there have been several important updates to ARPA funding. Unfortunately, there has also been a wave of misinformation and confusion among state and local governments, private sector partners, and even the feds themselves! The good news is that all the significant updates to ARPA are beneficial for government recipients – providing more time and flexibility to use the funding to make the most sense locally.
Many governments are taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime funding opportunity to modernize their digital services, improve technology infrastructure, secure systems and data, and expand digital equity.
There is no exhaustive list of applicable use cases in ARPA funds. There are specific areas called out for technology, such as broadband, cyber-security, and data and technology infrastructure. The guidance is general and primarily requires tying the use back to COVID-19 impact.
Here are examples of real projects governments are using ARPA money to fund:
Fill out this form to request a demo or more information about JustFOIA. We will respond within one business day. Please note: We do not process records requests for individuals – please contact the agency of record.
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