Section 604 of the Social Security Act (the âActâ), as added by section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Pub. L. No. 117-2 (Mar. 11, 2021) authorized the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (âCPFâ). The CPF provides $10 billion in funding for the Department of the Treasury (âTreasuryâ) to provide grant payments to States (defined to include the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico), seven territories and freely associated states (including the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau), and Tribal governments to carry out critical capital projects directly enabling work, education, and health monitoring, including remote options, in response to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease (âCOVID-19â).
Section 604(b) of the Act prescribes that the $10 billion be allocated to eligible grant recipients according to a formula provided in the statute. Treasury has used this formula to calculate the CPF grant fund allocations for each eligible recipient and has posted these allocations on its website . In general, each State (including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) will receive between approximately $107 million and $500 million, each of the seven named territories and freely associated states will receive approximately $14 million, and each Tribal government will receive approximately $167,000.
Treasury has previously received approval under OMB #1505-0274 for information collections related to applying for CPF grant awards (âApplicationsâ) and for specifying the use of funds (âGrant Plansâ)
The current information collection will be used to solicit information related to quarterly project and expenditure reports and annual performance reports. Both information collections are described generally in the Compliance and Reporting Guidance. The Compliance and Reporting Guidance provides recipients information needed to fulfill their reporting requirements and compliance obligations. Treasury will also prepare an IT portal user guide with specific instructions on entering data into the reporting web-based portal.
Treasury is adding to this information collection Compliance and Reporting Guidance that will be used to solicit information related to annual project, expenditure and performance reports submitted by CPF recipients that are Tribal governments. The Compliance and Reporting Guidance provides recipients with information needed to fulfill their reporting requirements and compliance obligations. Data is submitted to Treasury using a web-based portal and in accordance with specific data requirements. There is an increase in burden of 11,000 hours due to the addition of the Project and Expenditure Report for Tribal entities. An updated version of the reporting guidance for States and Territories is also being included but will not have an impact on the previously-approved burden.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Project and Expenditure Report – Tribal Entities