Recovery Plan Resources Update

The following are additional resources that expand the ongoing resources listed in PSN's Resource Guide for Implementing the Recovery Plan, including new resources on education, health care, clean energy and transportion, broadband, unemployment and training, expanding the safety net, and criminal justice.

Overall

NCSL has a summary on the extent of Legislative Authority over Recovery Funds:
Part I: http://www.ncsl.org/print/statefed/ARRALegislativeAuthority.pdf
Part II: http://www.ncsl.org/print/statefed/LegislativeAppropriationsAuthority_Part-II.pdf 

ProPublica has charts showing how How Stimulus Spending and Unemployment Match Up and how Stimulus Infrastructure Funding Short-Changes States With High Unemployment. 

Transparency

A few new key sites help track state transparency on recovery funds:

• Progressive States Network has a chart tracking state online transparency sites.
• The White House has a map with links to state recovery websites.
• Sunshine Foundation has a list of states with spending sites online, along with states with related transparency legislation that has passed or is pending.

Education 

The U.S. Department of Education provides a number of key  resources:

• Detailed ARRA Project Spending Analysis 
• ARRA State Allocations by spending area (i.e. Technology, Vocational Rehabilitation, Federal Work Study).
• ARRA Summary summarizing early childhood, K-12 and higher education planned improvements.
• State Fiscal Stabilization Fund Overview
• Overview of Title I Funds (Part A Recovery Funds for Grants to Local Education Agencies) and Overview of Title I Non-Regulatory Guidance (Maintenance of Effort, Comparability, Supplement not Supplant, Carryover, Consolidating Funds in Schoolwide Programs and Grantback Requirements)
• Overview of IDEA Funds for Services to Children and Youths with Disabilities
• Education Week tracks ongoing news and resources in its Schools and the Stimulus section. 

Health Care

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department has a website outlining the Medicaid Grant Award Process for approximately $15 billion in grant money, along with a map to look up Medicaid funding on a state-by-state basis. The Department of Labor outlines changes to COBRA Continuation Assistance under ARRA.

Families USA has a detailed policy brief on implementing the new CHIP reauthorization bill, including using the new funding, the rules requiring states to spend those funds within three years or lose them,  performance bonuses available to states that effectively cover the lowest-income children in their states, grants for outreach and translation services, along with other program details.

• Recovery Act (ARRA): Medicaid Grant Award Process (HHS)
• Map of State Medicaid Funding under FMAP (HHS)
• Changes to COBRA Continuation Assistance under ARRA (DOL)
• CHIPRA 101: Overview of the CHIP Reauthorization Legislation (Families USA)

The Department of Energy has a Funding Opportunity Guidance Document for energy efficiency and conservation block grants and guidelines for state energy program funds, while the EPA has a Brownfield Job Training Assistance Grants Requests for Applications.  See also the Federal Highway Administration ARRA Information, including implementing grant guidance, apportionment tables, and Q&A and the Department of Transportation Overviw on ARRA.

The Apollo Alliance highlights principles for implementing the Recovery Plan in ways that move America towards a sustainable economy and shared prosperity, including the Apollo Alliance statement of principles highlighting the need for energy security, job creation and job training opportunities, as well as statements by the New York City Apollo Alliance and the California Green Stimulus Coalition.   This powerful article by the Apollo Alliance's President, Jerome Ringo, explains how state leaders can use federal recovery funds to spur green economic growth with quality jobs that spread benefits throughout all levels of society, while ensuring contractor accontability and a growth plan that is sustainable at increasing scales.

With $50 billion available for rebuilding roads, bridges, railways and ports, a report by PolicyLink and the TEN Network  highlights how communities can invest those dollars to revitalize distressed areas, improve health outcomes, promote job growth and access for disadvantaged communities, and assure that all stakeholders participate in decisions.  It includes key Recovery Act provisions and funding streams and provides access to online tools for further information.

Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE) is part of a broad coalition effort by Environmental Justice advocates which has a statement on environmental justice and the stimulus and resources related to greening the  recovery process.

• An Engine of Opportunity: A User’s Guide to Advocate for Transportation Equity in the 2009 Recovery Act  (PolicyLink and Transportation Equity Network)

• Federal Transit Authority Q&A on ARRA
• In Recovery Act, Focus On Green-Collar Jobs and Principles (Apollo Alliance)

• Apollo Alliance Statement of Principles

• New York City Apollo Alliance Statement of Principles

• California Green Stimulus Coalition Statement of Principles

  Resources for Greening the Recovery Process (ACE)

Broadband

The Department of Commerce has an Overview of ARRA, including broadband provisions

Unemployment and Training

DOL provides:

• State-by-State Overview of Unemployment Modernization Allocations
• Instructions for new temporary Federal Additional Compensation (FAC) program
• Information on temporary changes to the permanent federal-state extended benefits (EB) program 
• Information on extension of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation
• Initial plans the Employment and Training Administration has developed for implementing Workforce Investment Act programs under ARRA

Safety Net

A report by the Direct Care Alliance outlines ways to use Recovery Plan funds to make long-term investments in upgrading direct care jobs through improved wages, education and funding innovations such as wellness funds and research to improve care for consumers.  A related PHI fact sheet emphasizes how improving direct care jobs drives economic growth.

• Using Recovery Act Funds to Improve Direct Care Jobs and the Quality of Direct Care Services (Direct Care Alliance)
• Eldercare/Disability Services: Untapped Engine for Job Creation and Economic Growth  (PHI)

Office of Justice Programs has an  ARRA Summary of criminal justice programs and  a Map of  Justice Assistance Grant Allocations on a state-by-state basis.