Local Government Stimulus Information

The Commercial Paper Funding Facility (CPFF) is intended to relieve the stress on the commercial paper market caused by the pandemic, which has chilled investors and prompted high interest rates on longer-term notes, such as those with maturities of three months, as noted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The CPFF will enhance the liquidity of commercial paper by increasing the availability of term funding to issuers and by providing greater assurance to issuers and investors that firms and municipalities can roll over their maturing paper.

The facility will do this through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) that will buy eligible three-month unsecured commercial paper and asset-backed commercial paper from eligible issuers, including municipal governments. The New York Fed will provide this financing to the SPV.

The SPV will hold the commercial paper until it matures, and use proceeds from the paper and other assets to repay its loan to the New York Fed. The U.S. Treasury will make a $10 billion equity investment in the SPV. The SPV will cease to purchasing commercial paper on March 17, 2021, unless the Board extends the facility.

Questions may be emailed to CPFF@ny.frb.org, and you may sign up for email alerts about changes to CPFF documents .

Program Name:

Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF)

Description:

Provides funding for necessary expenditures due to the public health emergency concerning the coronavirus (COVID–19) incurred from March 1, 2020, through December 30, 2020, which were not accounted for in the state or local government budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020 (the date of enactment of the CARES Act).

Agencies Administering Program:

• U.S. Treasury
• Texas Governor’s Office
• Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM)

Type of Eligible Local Government Entity:

Cities and counties

Eligibility Criteria:

• Six cities and 12 counties in Texas with populations exceeding 500,000 in the most recent census received a direct payment of funds from the U.S. Treasury. Cities not eligible to receive a direct payment from the U.S. Treasury but located in a county that DID receive a direct payment should work with their county for CRF funding. View a list of Texas entities receiving a direct payment (PDF) .
• The remaining 242 counties, and each city within those counties, are eligible to apply to TDEM for a share of funds.

Grant or Loan:

Grant

Funds Available:

• Texas Received: $11.24 billion
• Texas Jurisdictions w/Direct U.S. Treasury Payments (Populations 500,000+): $3.2 billion
• Texas Jurisdictions (Not Receiving Direct U.S. Treasury Payments): $1.85 billion

Deadline(s):

The deadline to apply for the CRF was Oct. 16, 2020. Local governments should note that under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, any funds received must be spent by Dec. 31, 2021 or returned to the federal government. The prior deadline established by the CARES Act was Dec. 31, 2020.

For More Information:

• U.S. Department of the Treasury: Cares Act
• Letter to County and City Leaders regarding CRF (PDF)
• Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM): Coronavirus Relief Fund.
• U.S. Department of the Treasury: Cares Act FAQ (PDF)

Program Name:

COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Distribution

Description:

Funding through the existing Center for Disease Prevention (CDCP) Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) cooperative agreement will support testing, contract tracing, surveillance, containment and mitigation to monitor and suppress the spread of COVID-19. Awards through the existing CDCP Immunization and Vaccines for Children cooperative agreement will support a range of COVID-19 vaccination activities across jurisdictions.

Agency Administering Program:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Texas Department of Emergency Management

Types of Eligible Local Government Entities:

Jurisdictions through the existing CDCP Immunization and Vaccines for Children cooperative agreement.

Eligibility Criteria:

Award recipients will include 64 jurisdictions including all 50 states, the District of Columbia, five major cities and U.S. territories/islands. Consistent with congressional direction, funds will be allocated through a population-based formula.

Grant or Loan:

Grant

Funds Available for Texas:

CDCP Funding for COVID-19 Testing

Jurisdiction	Funding
Texas	$1,535,405,092
Houston	$133,550,932

CDCP Funding for COVID-19 Vaccination Activities

Jurisdiction	Funding
Texas (less Houston and San Antonio)	$227,056,156
Houston	$20,965,609
San Antonio	$13,980,751

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

• Expanded testing and vaccination distribution funding announcement
• COVID-19 testing funding table (PDF)
• COVID-19 vaccination funding table (PDF)

Program Name:

Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program

Description:

The program will reimburse participating providers up to $50 per month ($75 in tribal areas) for providing discounted broadband service to an eligible household. Participating providers will be reimbursed from the EBB Program for the discounts provided. The program will end in June 2021 unless renewed. If a participating provider also supplies the household with a connected device (laptop or desktop computer), it may be reimbursed up to $100 if the charge to the household is more than $10 but less than $50 for the device. A provider may receive reimbursement for no more than one connected device per eligible household.

Agencies Administering Program:

Federal Communications Commission (FCC), U.S. Department of Commerce

Types of Eligible Local Government Entities:

Limited to “covered partnerships” defined as “a State, or 1 or more political subdivisions of a State; and a provider of fixed broadband service.”

Eligibility Criteria:

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) states that a household is eligible for the EBB program if at least one of its members:

• qualifies for the existing federal Lifeline subsidy (which the household may receive in addition to the EBB benefit);
• has been approved to receive benefits under federal free and reduced-price school meals programs;
• has experienced a ”substantial loss of income“ since Feb. 29, 2020;
• has received a federal Pell Grant; or
• meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's low-income or COVID-19 program that meets certain criteria, including that the program was in existence as of April 1, 2020.

Grant or Loan:

Grant

Funds Available:

$3.2 billion

Funds Available for Texas:

To be determined by the FCC

Deadline(s):

The FCC issued a public notice on Jan. 4, 2021 seeking comment on how the program would be administered; it accepted comments through Jan. 25, 2021. The FCC will reply to the comments by Feb. 16, 2021 and will be establishing application criteria.

How to Apply:

The FCC will be determining criteria by which to apply and posting them on its website.

Sources:

• Federal Communications Commission, Public Notice (PDF)
• JD Supra, Summary of Consolidated Appropriations Act’s Broadband Network Deployment Provisions
• Congressional Research Service, Federal Universal Service Fund and Other Selected Federal Broadband Programs: A Primer(PDF)
• The National Law Review, Overview of Broadband Funding Opportunities in the COVID-19 Relief Act

Program Name:

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund

Description:

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (CRRSAA) was signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020. It provides an additional $54.3 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER II Fund).

Agency Administering Program:

U.S. Department of Education (DOE), Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Type of Eligible Local Government Entity:

Local educational agencies (LEAs) including charter schools that are LEAs.

Eligibility Criteria:

ESSER II Fund awards to state educational agencies (SEAs) are in the same proportion as funds received by each state under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended, in fiscal year 2020.

Grant or Loan:

Formula grant

Funds Available:

Section 313(b) of the CRRSSA requires the DOE to allocate the ESSER II Fund based on the proportion that each state received in the most recent fiscal year under Title I, Part A of ESEA.

• Funds Available for Texas (cumulative): $5,529,552,209
• Minimum Local Educational Agency (LEA) Distribution¹: $4,976,596,988
• Maximum State Educational Agency (SEA) Reservation²: $552,955,221
• Maximum for SEA Administration^1,2:$27,647,761

1. The minimum LEA distribution, maximum SEA reservation and maximum for SEA administration have been rounded to the nearest whole dollar. The minimum LEA distribution and maximum SEA reservation amounts assume that the SEA subgrants the minimum required amount of 90 percent of its ESSER II award to its LEAs.
2. The SEA may reserve an amount equal to up to ½ of 1 percent of the total.

Deadline(s):

Refer to the TEA’s website.

How to Apply:

LEAs are not required to provide additional applications to receive ESSER II awards. TEA will receive a grant award notification (GAN) through the Federal Grants Management System (G5), which provides the ESSER II grant award and details its terms and conditions. There is no information on TEA’s website regarding whether LEAs will need to apply for funds.

For More Information:

• Office of Elementary and Secondary Education:
  • ESSER Fund webpage
  • ESSER II calculation methodology table (PDF)
  • ESSER II fact sheet (PDF)
• TEA: CARES Act expense reimbursement FAQ (PDF)

Program Name:

Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER)

Description:

The GEER II includes allowable uses of funds related to preventing, preparing for and responding to COVID-19. Governors may provide subgrants to local education agencies (LEAs) and institutions of higher education (IHEs) within their jurisdictions that have been “most significantly impacted by coronavirus” to support their ability to continue providing educational services to their students and to support the “on-going functionality” of these entities. In addition, a governor may use these funds to provide support through a subgrant or a contract to other LEAs, IHEs and education-related entities that the governor “deems essential” for carrying out emergency educational services; providing child care and early childhood education; providing social and emotional support and protecting education-related jobs.

Agency Administering Program:

U.S. Department of Education

Eligible Government Entity:

States (governor’s offices)

Eligibility Criteria:

Awarded to each state with an approved GEER application under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, enacted on March 27, 2020.

Grant or Loan:

Formula grant

Funds Available:

To be awarded based on a formula stipulated in the legislation: (1) 60 percent on the basis of the state’s relative population of individuals ages 5-24; and (2) 40 percent on the basis of the state’s relative number of children counted under Section 1124(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).

Amount of Funds Available for Texas (cumulative):

• Total Section 312 Allocation (GEER Fund): $287,499,442
• Section 312(b) Supplemental Allocation (GEER II): $134,331,197
• Section 312(d) Allocation Emergency Assistance for Non-Public Schools (EANS): $153,168,245
• Maximum Reservation of EANS Funds for Administration: $765,841

Deadline(s):

Will be awarded to each state with an approved Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) application under the CARES Act. Each state must submit the signed Certification and Agreement for Funding by Feb. 8, 2021.

How to Apply:

The Governor will determine the criteria and process to apply for/award the funds.

For More Information:

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education:

• Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund
• Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund II fact sheet (PDF)
• Emergency Assistance for Non-Public Schools (EANS)

Program Name:

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II)

Description:

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) of 2021, enacted on Dec. 27, 2020, provided $22.7 billion for institutions of higher education.

Agency Administering Program:

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education

Type of Eligible Local Government Entity:

Institutions of higher education

Eligibility Criteria:

Existing Student Aid Portion and Institutional Portion grantees

Grant or Loan:

Formula grant

Funds Available for Texas (cumulative):

See the U.S. Department of Education allocation table (PDF).

Deadline(s):

April 15, 2021

How to Apply:

The CRRSAA authorized supplemental awards to existing Student Aid Portion and Institutional Portion grantees. These grantees will not be required to submit new or revised applications to receive the funds. Eligible private nonprofit or public institutions that did not originally receive a CARES Act grant will also have an opportunity to apply for these new funds. These institutions may apply at Grants.gov for Student Aid Portion or Institutional Portion grants under Section 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA. Institutions must submit complete applications for both the Student Aid Portion and Institutional Portion grants.

Each completed application for a Student Aid Portion or Institutional Portion grant must consist of:

1. a completed SF-424 and SF-424 supplemental form;
2. a Certification and Agreement – either the Student Aid Portion Certification and Agreement (Gold C&A) or the Institutional Portion Certification and Agreement (Blue C&A), as appropriate; and
3. the Required Notification of Endowment Excise Tax Paid Form (if applicable).

For More Information:

• U.S. Department of Education:
  • CRRSAA: Higher Education Emergency Fund (HEERF) II
  • HEERF II FAQs (PDF)
  • Allocation table (PDF)
  • HEERF I and HEERF II comparison fact sheet (PDF)
• Federal Register

Program Name:

Urbanized Area Formula Grant Program

Description:

Funding for the urbanized area formula grants is made available to designated recipients that are public bodies with the legal authority to receive and dispense federal funds. For urbanized areas with 200,000 or more in population, funds are apportioned and flow directly to a designated recipient selected locally to apply for and receive federal funds. For urbanized areas under 200,000 in population, the funds are apportioned to the governor of each state for distribution. This grant from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) is supplemental funding for these jurisdictions.

Agencies Administering Program:

U.S. Department of Transportation, Texas Department of Transportation

Eligible Local Government Entities:

For urbanized areas with 200,000 or more in population, funds are apportioned and flow directly to a designated recipient selected locally to apply for and receive federal funds. For urbanized areas under 200,000 in population, the funds are apportioned to the governor of each state for distribution.

Eligibility Criteria:

Funding is apportioned based on legislative formulas. For areas of 50,000 to 199,999 in population, the formula is based on population and population density. For areas with populations of 200,000 or more, the formula is based on a combination of bus revenue vehicle miles, bus passenger miles, fixed guideway revenue vehicle miles and fixed guideway route miles, as well as population and population density.

Grant or Loan:

Grant

Funds Available:

See Table 2: CRRSAA Urbanized Area Apportionments (Section 5307).

Funds Available for Texas (cumulative):

FY 2021 CRRSAA Section 5307 Urbanized Area Apportionments (Including funds apportioned under Section 5337 – State of Good Repair)

Urbanized Area/State	Apportionment
Amounts Apportioned to Urbanized Areas with 1 million or More in Population:
Austin	$67,226,289
Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington	$128,511,228
Houston	$153,492,780
San Antonio	$61,804,487
Amounts Apportioned to Urbanized Areas with 200,000 to 1 Million in Population:
Corpus Christi	$6,857,205
El Paso	$7,120,128
Texas (less areas listed)	$6,847,837
Laredo	$1,529,460
Total	$452,685,124

Source: CRRSAA Urbanized Area Apportionments

CRRSAA Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Apportionments

Urbanized Area/State	Apportionment
Amounts Apportioned to Urbanized Areas with Populations of 200,000 or More:
Austin	$171,263
Brownsville	$28,857
Conroe – The Woodlands	$33,016
Corpus Christi	$52,135
Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington	$661,250
Denton – Lewisville	$41,938
El Paso	$118,768
Houston	$615,514
Killeen	$25,770
Laredo	$29,391
Lubbock	$37,933
McAllen	$104,552
San Antonio	$290,669
Amounts Apportioned to State Governors for Urbanized Areas with Populations of 50,000 to 199,999:
Texas	$692,756
Amounts Apportioned to State Governors for Non-urbanized Areas with Populations Less than 50,000:
Texas	$667,804
Total	$3,571,616

Source: CRRSAA Apportionments for Enhanced Mobility for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities (Section 5310) (XLSX)

Deadline:

The governor will establish criteria and the process for distributing the funds apportioned to the state.

How to apply

The funds will be allocated directly to the jurisdictions above; otherwise, the Governor will establish criteria and the process for distribution of the remaining funds.

For More Information:

Federal Transit Administration

• Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021
• CRRSAA Supplemental and Public Transportation Apportionments and Allocations
• Urbanized Area Formula Grants