California 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 California'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?
California 2021 survey responses
What is your state’s process for federal grant applications and the approval process?
“Throughout the annual process of assembling the state budget, the administration submits Budget Change Proposals (BCPs) to the Legislature for approval. These BCPs include the expenditure of funds received from the federal government. Here is a 2016-17 BCP, for example, which includes an allocation of federal funds.
"Outside of the budget process, Section 28.00 of the annual state Budget Act authorizes the Department of Finance to approve augmentations for the expenditure of unanticipated funds received from federal or local governments (or any other non-state entity). These augmentations are subject to legislative oversight through the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. Please find the text of Section 28.00 from the 2016-17 Budget Act at the bottom of this email. Please also find two example Section 28.00 letters, that include expenditure authority from federal funds, attached.”
What is the approval process when the legislature is not in session?
“The Section 28.00 process described in California's process for approving federal grants.”
How does the legislature monitor the intent of federal grants?
“The Legislature’s monitoring the intent of federal grants varies by grant.”
What is your state’s contingency plan for state financing in the case of losses or decline in federal funds?
“California’s response to the decline or loss of federal funds varies depending on the fund. In some cases, the Legislature may choose to eliminate program facing a funding shortfall. In other cases, the Legislature may choose to wholly or partially backfill the funding loss using state funds.”
What is your state’s quality control process for tracking the effectiveness of federal funds?
“California’s quality control process for tracking the effectiveness of federal funds varies by program.”
Does your state attempt to estimate the cost of federal fund requirements? If so, how?
“California does not have a formal process to estimate the cost of all federal fund requirements.”
How does your state prioritize federal funds to best meet the needs of constituents?
“California’s approach to prioritizing federal funds to best meet the needs of constituents varies by program.”
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?
“California appropriates some federal funds directly through the annual budget act. California appropriates other funds indirectly (i.e. “off budget”).”
Who has decision rights over American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Fund allocations in your state?
“California appropriated the ARPA federal funds directly through the annual budget act according to the eligible use of funds guidance provided by the US Treasury.”
Who has decision rights over Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund allocations in your state?
“California appropriated the ESSER federal funds directly through the annual budget act according to the eligible use of funds guidance provided by the US Treasury.”
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
- Georgien
- 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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