ARRA News

This news was just posted on CEC’s Policy Insider email newsletter on 6/26/09:

On June 22, 2009, the OMB published implementing guidance for Reports on Use of Funds Pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“Recovery Act”). The Recovery Act provided $12.2 billion for IDEA programs, which more than doubled the federal funding of special education and early intervention programs. This guidance is meant to provide federal agencies, and recipients with the information necessary to implement the reporting requirements included in Section 1512 of the Recovery Act. As recipients of $12.2 billion of the $787 billion Recovery Act, SEAs and LEAs now have the guidance they need in order to properly report how Recovery Act money is spent. These report requirements are part of a larger effort to provide the public with an unprecedented level of transparency into how Federal dollars are being spent and will help drive accountability for the timely, prudent, and effective spending of recovery dollars.

Reports must be submitted by SEAs and LEAs beginning in October 2009 and will answer important questions, such as who is receiving Recovery Act dollars and in what amounts?; what projects or activities are being funded with Recovery Act dollars?; what is the completion status of such projects or activities and what impact have they had on job creation and retention?

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