Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island'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?
Rhode Island 2021 survey responses
What is your state’s process for federal grant applications and the approval process?
Ҥ 35-1.1-5. Federal grants management.
(a) The controller shall be responsible for managing federal grant applications; providing administrative assistance to agencies regarding reporting requirements; providing technical assistance; and approving agreements with federal agencies pursuant to § 35-1-1. The controller shall:
(1) Establish state goals and objectives for maximizing the utilization of federal aid programs;
(2) Ensure that the state establishes and maintains statewide federally mandated grants management processes and procedures as mandated by the federal Office of Management and Budget;
(3) Promulgate procedures and guidelines for all state departments, agencies, advisory councils, instrumentalities of the state, and public higher education institutions covering applications for federal grants;
(4) Require, upon request, any state department, agency, advisory council, instrumentality of the state, or public higher education institution receiving a grant of money from the federal government to submit a report to the controller of expenditures and program measures for the fiscal period in question;
(5) Ensure state departments and agencies adhere to the requirements of § 42-41-5 regarding legislative appropriation authority and delegation thereof;
(6) Manage and oversee the disbursements of federal funds in accordance with § 35-6-42;
(7) Prepare the statewide cost allocation plan and serve as the monitoring agency to ensure that state departments and agencies are working within the guidelines contained in the plan; and
(8) Provide technical assistance to agencies to ensure resolution and closure of all single state audit findings and recommendations made by the auditor general related to federal funding.”
What is the approval process when the legislature is not in session?
“When the general assembly is not in session, the application shall be reported to and reviewed by the director pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the director. (3) When any federal funds, aids, loans, or grants are received by any state department, agency, advisory council, or instrumentality of the state, a report of the amount of funds received shall be filed with the office; and this report shall specify the amount of funds that would reimburse an agency for indirect costs, as provided for under federal requirements. (4) The controller may refuse to issue approval for the disbursement of any state or federal funds from the state treasury as the result of any application that is not approved as provided by this section, or in regard to which the statement or reports required by this section were not filed. (5) The controller shall be responsible for the orderly administration of this section and for issuing the appropriate guidelines and regulations from each source of funds used.
"History of Section. (P.L. 2012, ch. 241, art. 4, § 5; P.L. 2019, ch. 88, art. 4, § 9.) § 35-1.1-5 Federal grants management.
“http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/Statutes/TITLE35/35-1.1/35-1.1-5.HTM [webserver.rilin.state.ri.us]”
How does the legislature monitor the intent of federal grants?
“N/A”
What is your state’s contingency plan for state financing in the case of losses or decline in federal funds?
“N/A”
What is your state’s quality control process for tracking the effectiveness of federal funds?
“N/A”
Does your state attempt to estimate the cost of federal fund requirements? If so, how?
“See answer to first question.”
How does your state prioritize federal funds to best meet the needs of constituents?
“N/A”
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?
“N/A”
Who has decision rights over American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery Fund allocations in your state?
“The ARPA funds must be appropriated by our legislature. The executive branch in coordination with the legislature are developing a plan to spend these funds.”
Who has decision rights over Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund allocations in your state?
“The RI Department of Education has authority over these 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
- 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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