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U.S. Treasury, Coronavirus Relief Fund guidance for States, Tribal Governments, and Certain Eligible Local Governments, Federal Register notice 2021-00827 (Jan. 15, 2021)

Summary

A Department of the Treasury notice in the Federal Register of January 15, 2021 (Vol. 86, No. 10) re-publishing in final form its Coronavirus Relief Fund guidance for States, Tribal Governments, and Certain Eligible Local Governments. It states that the guidance is unchanged from the version dated September 2, 2020 and the frequently asked questions document dated October 19, 2020, except for listed changes, including that the end date of the period for incurring eligible expenses has been extended to December 31, 2021. The guidance states that the CARES Act appropriated $150 billion to the Fund and that payments may cover only necessary expenditures incurred due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020, and incurred from March 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021.

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Cite this document

“U.S. Treasury, Coronavirus Relief Fund guidance for States, Tribal Governments, and Certain Eligible Local Governments, Federal Register notice 2021-00827 (Jan. 15, 2021).” Original at home.treasury.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/u-s-treasury-coronavirus-relief-fund-guidance-for-states-tribal-govern-af2e458ac5/, SHA-256 df6e2a4296224ec701636b99d45e24b5f5d0306a89d791ecfefff5cf01ce4caf.

Full text

     4182                           Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices

     ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments                  quality, utility, and clarity of the                   601(d), the amount equal to the amount
     to Kinna Brewington, Internal Revenue                   information to be collected; (d) ways to               of funds used in violation of such
     Service, room 6526, 1111 Constitution                   minimize the burden of the collection of               subsection shall be booked as a debt of
     Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20224.                        information on respondents, including                  such entity owed to the federal
     FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                        through the use of automated collection                government.
     Requests for additional information or                  techniques or other forms of information                 The guidance published below is
     copies of the form should be directed to                technology; and (e) estimates of capital               unchanged from the last version of the
     Kerry Dennis, at (202) 317–5751 or                      or start-up costs and costs of operation,              guidance dated September 2, 2020,1 and
     Internal Revenue Service, Room 6526,                    maintenance, and purchase of services                  the frequently asked questions
     1111 Constitution Avenue NW,                            to provide information.
                                                                                                                    document dated October 19, 2020,2 each
     Washington DC 20224, or through the                       Approved: January 12, 2021.                          of which was published on Treasury’s
     internet, at Kerry.Dennis@irs.gov.                      Chakinna B. Clemons,                                   website, except for the following
     SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title:                       Supervisory Tax Analyst.                               changes. The introduction of the
     Sales of Business Property.                             [FR Doc. 2021–00841 Filed 1–14–21; 8:45 am]            guidance and frequently asked
        OMB Number: 1545–0184.                               BILLING CODE 4830–01–P                                 questions have been modified to reflect
        Form Number: Form 4797.                                                                                     this publication in the Federal Register;
        Abstract: Form 4797 is used by                                                                              the guidance and frequently asked
     taxpayers to report sales, exchanges, or                DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY                             questions have been revised throughout
     involuntary conversions of assets used                                                                         to reflect that the end date of the period
     in a trade or business. It is also used to              Coronavirus Relief Fund for States,                    during which eligible expenses may be
     compute ordinary income from                            Tribal Governments, and Certain                        incurred has been extended to
     recapture and the recapture of prior year               Eligible Local Governments                             December 31, 2021; 3 footnote 2 of the
     losses under section 1231 of the Internal                                                                      guidance has been revised to reflect
                                                             AGENCY: Department of the Treasury.
     Revenue Code.                                                                                                  additional restrictions imposed by
        Current Actions: There is no change                  ACTION: Coronavirus Relief Fund
                                                                                                                    section 5001(b) of Division A the
     in the paperwork burden previously                      program guidance.
                                                                                                                    CARES Act; FAQ A.59 has been
     approved by OMB. The forms are being                                                                           updated to correct the cross-reference to
                                                             SUMMARY: The Department of the
     submitted for renewal purposes only.                                                                           Treasury OIG’s FAQs; and the
        Type of Review: Extension of a                       Treasury (Treasury) is re-publishing in
                                                             final form the guidance it previously                  application of FAQ B.6 has been
     currently approved collection.                                                                                 clarified. Treasury is also adding to the
        Affected Public: Business or other for-              made available on its website regarding
                                                             the Coronavirus Relief Fund for States,                guidance instructions regarding the
     profit organizations, individuals or                                                                           return to Treasury of unused
     households, and farms.                                  tribal governments, and certain eligible
                                                             local governments.                                     Coronavirus Relief Fund payments.
        Estimated Number of Respondents:
     325,000.                                                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                       Administrative Procedure Act
        Estimated Time per Response: 50                      Stephen T. Milligan, Deputy Assistant
     hours, 38 minutes.                                      General Counsel (Banking & Finance),                     The Administrative Procedure Act
        Estimated Total Annual Burden                        202–622–4051.                                          (APA) provides that the notice, public
     Hours: 16,454,750.                                      SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section                     comment, and delayed effective date
        The following paragraph applies to all               601 of the Social Security Act, as added               requirements of 5 U.S.C. 553 do not
     the collections of information covered                  by section 5001(a) of Division A of the                apply ‘‘to the extent that there is
     by this notice.                                         Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic                  involved . . . a matter relating to agency
        An agency may not conduct or                         Security Act (‘‘CARES Act’’) established               management or personnel or to public
     sponsor, and a person is not required to                the Coronavirus Relief Fund (the                       property, loans, grants, benefits, or
     respond to, a collection of information                 ‘‘Fund’’) and appropriated $150 billion                contracts.’’ 5 U.S.C. 553(a). The rule
     unless the collection of information                    for payments by Treasury to States,                    involves a matter relating to public
     displays a valid OMB control number.                    tribal governments, and certain local                  property, loans, grants, benefits, or
     Books or records relating to a collection               governments.                                           contracts and is therefore exempt under
     of information must be retained if their                   The Secretary of the Treasury has                   the terms of the APA.
     contents may become material in the                     adopted this guidance for recipients of
     administration of any internal revenue                  payments from the Fund pursuant to his                   1 As noted previously on Treasury’s website, on

     law. Generally, tax returns and tax                     authority under the Social Security Act                June 30, 2020, the guidance provided under ‘‘Costs
                                                                                                                    incurred during the period that begins on March 1,
     return information are confidential, as                 to adopt rules and regulations as may be               2020, and ends on December 30, 2020’’ was
     required by 26 U.S.C. 6103.                             necessary to the efficient administration              updated. On September 2, 2020, the ‘‘Supplemental
        Request for Comments: Comments                       of the functions with which he is                      Guidance on Use of Funds to Cover Payroll and
     submitted in response to this notice will               charged under the Social Security Act.                 Benefits of Public Employees’’ and ‘‘Supplemental
                                                                                                                    Guidance on Use of Funds to Cover Administrative
     be summarized and/or included in the                    42 U.S.C. 1302(a). This guidance                       Costs’’ sections were added.
     request for OMB approval. All                           primarily concerns the use of payments                   2 As noted previously on Treasury’s website, on
     comments will become a matter of                        from the Fund set forth in section 601(d)              August 10, 2020, the frequently asked questions
     public record. Comments are invited on:                 of the Social Security Act. Treasury’s                 were revised to add Questions A.49–52. On
     (a) Whether the collection of                           Office of Inspector General (OIG) will                 September 2, 2020, Questions A.53–56 were added
                                                                                                                    and Questions A.34 and A.38 were revised. On
     information is necessary for the proper                 use this guidance in its audits of                     October 19, 2020, Questions A.57–59 and B.13 were
     performance of the functions of the                     recipients’ use of funds. Section                      added and Questions A.42, 49, and 53 were revised.
     agency, including whether the                           601(f)(2) of the Social Security Act                     3 Section 1001 of Division N of the Consolidated

     information shall have practical utility;               provides that if the Treasury OIG                      Appropriations Act, 2021 amended section
                                                                                                                    601(d)(3) of the Social Security Act by extending
     (b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate               determines that a recipient of payments                the end of the covered period for Coronavirus Relief
     of the burden of the collection of                      from the Fund has failed to comply with                Fund expenditures from December 30, 2020 to
     information; (c) ways to enhance the                    the use of funds provisions of section                 December 31, 2021.



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                                     Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices                                           4183

     Regulatory Flexibility Analysis                         These may include expenditures                         601(d) may be summarized as providing
        The Regulatory Flexibility Act does                  incurred to allow the State, territorial,              that a State, local, or tribal government
     not apply to a rulemaking when a                        local, or Tribal government to respond                 may use payments from the Fund only
     general notice of proposed rulemaking                   directly to the emergency, such as by                  to cover previously unbudgeted costs of
     is not required.                                        addressing medical or public health                    necessary expenditures incurred due to
                                                             needs, as well as expenditures incurred                the COVID–19 public health emergency
     Paperwork Reduction Act                                 to respond to second-order effects of the              during the covered period.
       The final rule contains no                            emergency, such as by providing                           Initial guidance released on April 22,
     requirements subject to the Paperwork                   economic support to those suffering                    2020, provided that the cost of an
     Reduction Act.                                          from employment or business                            expenditure is incurred when the
                                                             interruptions due to COVID–19-related                  recipient has expended funds to cover
     Authority and Issuance                                  business closures. Funds may not be                    the cost. Upon further consideration and
        42 U.S.C. 1302(a).                                   used to fill shortfalls in government                  informed by an understanding of State,
                                                             revenue to cover expenditures that                     local, and tribal government practices,
     Coronavirus Relief Fund Guidance for                    would not otherwise qualify under the                  Treasury is clarifying that for a cost to
     State, Territorial, Local, and Tribal                   statute. Although a broad range of uses                be considered to have been incurred,
     Governments                                             is allowed, revenue replacement is not                 performance or delivery must occur
        The purpose of this document is to                   a permissible use of Fund payments.                    during the covered period but payment
     provide guidance to recipients of the                      The statute also specifies that                     of funds need not be made during that
     funding available under section 601(a)                  expenditures using Fund payments                       time (though it is generally expected
     of the Social Security Act, as added by                 must be ‘‘necessary.’’ The Department of               that this will take place within 90 days
     section 5001 of the Coronavirus Aid,                    the Treasury understands this term                     of a cost being incurred). For instance,
     Relief, and Economic Security Act                       broadly to mean that the expenditure is                in the case of a lease of equipment or
     (‘‘CARES Act’’). The CARES Act                          reasonably necessary for its intended                  other property, irrespective of when
     established the Coronavirus Relief Fund                 use in the reasonable judgment of the                  payment occurs, the cost of a lease
     (the ‘‘Fund’’) and appropriated $150                    government officials responsible for                   payment shall be considered to have
     billion to the Fund. Under the CARES                    spending Fund payments.                                been incurred for the period of the lease
     Act, the Fund is to be used to make                                                                            that is within the covered period but not
                                                             Costs Not Accounted for in the Budget
     payments for specified uses to States                                                                          otherwise. Furthermore, in all cases it
                                                             Most Recently Approved as of March 27,
     and certain local governments; the                                                                             must be necessary that performance or
                                                             2020
     District of Columbia and U.S. Territories                                                                      delivery take place during the covered
                                                                The CARES Act also requires that                    period. Thus the cost of a good or
     (consisting of the Commonwealth of
                                                             payments be used only to cover costs                   service received during the covered
     Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin
                                                             that were not accounted for in the                     period will not be considered eligible
     Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and
                                                             budget most recently approved as of                    under section 601(d) if there is no need
     the Commonwealth of the Northern
                                                             March 27, 2020. A cost meets this                      for receipt until after the covered period
     Mariana Islands); and Tribal
                                                             requirement if either (a) the cost cannot              has expired.
     governments.
                                                             lawfully be funded using a line item,                     Goods delivered in the covered period
        The CARES Act provides that
                                                             allotment, or allocation within that                   need not be used during the covered
     payments from the Fund may only be
                                                             budget or (b) the cost is for a                        period in all cases. For example, the
     used to cover costs that—
                                                             substantially different use from any                   cost of a good that must be delivered in
        1. are necessary expenditures
                                                             expected use of funds in such a line                   December in order to be available for
     incurred due to the public health                                                                              use in January could be covered using
                                                             item, allotment, or allocation.
     emergency with respect to the                              The ‘‘most recently approved’’ budget               payments from the Fund. Additionally,
     Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19);                    refers to the enacted budget for the                   the cost of goods purchased in bulk and
        2. were not accounted for in the                     relevant fiscal period for the particular              delivered during the covered period
     budget most recently approved as of                     government, without taking into                        may be covered using payments from
     March 27, 2020 (the date of enactment                   account subsequent supplemental                        the Fund if a portion of the goods is
     of the CARES Act) for the State or                      appropriations enacted or other                        ordered for use in the covered period,
     government; and                                         budgetary adjustments made by that                     the bulk purchase is consistent with the
        3. were incurred during the period                   government in response to the COVID–                   recipient’s usual procurement policies
     that begins on March 1, 2020, and ends                  19 public health emergency. A cost is                  and practices, and it is impractical to
     on December 31, 2021.1                                  not considered to have been accounted                  track and record when the items were
        The guidance that follows sets forth                 for in a budget merely because it could                used. A recipient may use payments
     the Department of the Treasury’s                        be met using a budgetary stabilization                 from the Fund to purchase a durable
     interpretation of these limitations on the              fund, rainy day fund, or similar reserve               good that is to be used during the
     permissible use of Fund payments.                       account.                                               current period and in subsequent
     Necessary Expenditures Incurred Due to                                                                         periods if the acquisition in the covered
                                                             Costs Incurred During the Period That                  period was necessary due to the public
     the Public Health Emergency                             Begins on March 1, 2020, and Ends on                   health emergency.
       The requirement that expenditures be                  December 31, 2021                                         Given that it is not always possible to
     incurred ‘‘due to’’ the public health                      Finally, the CARES Act provides that                estimate with precision when a good or
     emergency means that expenditures                       payments from the Fund may only be                     service will be needed, the touchstone
     must be used for actions taken to                       used to cover costs that were incurred                 in assessing the determination of need
     respond to the public health emergency.                 during the period that begins on March                 for a good or service during the covered
       1 See Section 601(d) of the Social Security Act, as
                                                             1, 2020, and ends on December 31, 2021                 period will be reasonableness at the
     added by section 5001 of the CARES Act and as
                                                             (the ‘‘covered period’’). Putting this                 time delivery or performance was
     amended by section 1001 of Division N of the            requirement together with the other                    sought, e.g., the time of entry into a
     Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.                  provisions discussed above, section                    procurement contract specifying a time


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     4184                           Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices

     for delivery. Similarly, in recognition of              with the COVID–19 public health                          6. Any other COVID–19-related
     the likelihood of supply chain                          emergency.                                             expenses reasonably necessary to the
     disruptions and increased demand for                       • Expenses for disinfection of public               function of government that satisfy the
     certain goods and services during the                   areas and other facilities, e.g., nursing              Fund’s eligibility criteria.
     COVID–19 public health emergency, if a                  homes, in response to the COVID–19
                                                             public health emergency.                               Nonexclusive Examples of Ineligible
     recipient enters into a contract requiring
                                                                • Expenses for technical assistance to              Expenditures 2
     the delivery of goods or performance of
     services by December 31, 2021, the                      local authorities or other entities on                   The following is a list of examples of
     failure of a vendor to complete delivery                mitigation of COVID–19-related threats                 costs that would not be eligible
     or services by December 31, 2021, will                  to public health and safety.                           expenditures of payments from the
     not affect the ability of the recipient to                 • Expenses for public safety measures               Fund.
     use payments from the Fund to cover                     undertaken in response to COVID–19.                      1. Expenses for the State share of
     the cost of such goods or services if the                  • Expenses for quarantining                         Medicaid.3
     delay is due to circumstances beyond                    individuals.                                             2. Damages covered by insurance.
                                                                3. Payroll expenses for public safety,                3. Payroll or benefits expenses for
     the recipient’s control.
                                                             public health, health care, human                      employees whose work duties are not
        This guidance applies in a like
                                                             services, and similar employees whose                  substantially dedicated to mitigating or
     manner to costs of subrecipients. Thus,                 services are substantially dedicated to
     a grant or loan, for example, provided                                                                         responding to the COVID–19 public
                                                             mitigating or responding to the COVID–                 health emergency.
     by a recipient using payments from the                  19 public health emergency.
     Fund must be used by the subrecipient                      4. Expenses of actions to facilitate
     only to purchase (or reimburse a                        compliance with COVID–19-related
                                                                                                                      2 In addition, pursuant to section 5001(b) of

     purchase of) goods or services for which                                                                       Division A of the CARES Act, payments from the
                                                             public health measures, such as:                       Fund are subject to the requirements contained in
     receipt both is needed within the                          • Expenses for food delivery to                     the Further Appropriations Act of 2020 (Pub. L.
     covered period and occurs within the                    residents, including, for example, senior              116–94) for funds for programs authorized under
     covered period. The direct recipient of                 citizens and other vulnerable                          section 330 through 340 of the Public Health
     payments from the Fund is ultimately                                                                           Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254 through 256). Section
                                                             populations, to enable compliance with                 5001(b) thereby applies to payments from the Fund
     responsible for compliance with this                    COVID–19 public health precautions.                    the general restrictions on the Department of Health
     limitation on use of payments from the                     • Expenses to facilitate distance                   and Human Services’ appropriations. Of particular
     Fund.                                                   learning, including technological                      relevance for the Fund, payments may not be
                                                                                                                    expended for an abortion, for health benefits
     Nonexclusive Examples of Eligible                       improvements, in connection with                       coverage—meaning a package of services covered
     Expenditures                                            school closings to enable compliance                   by a managed health care provider or organization
                                                             with COVID–19 precautions.                             pursuant to a contract or other arrangement—that
        Eligible expenditures include, but are                  • Expenses to improve telework                      includes coverage of abortion, for the creation of a
     not limited to, payment for:                            capabilities for public employees to                   human embryo or embryos for research purposes,
                                                                                                                    or for research in which a human embryo is
        1. Medical expenses such as:                         enable compliance with COVID–19                        destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk
        • COVID–19-related expenses of                       public health precautions.                             of injury or death greater than that allowed for
     public hospitals, clinics, and similar                     • Expenses of providing paid sick and               research on fetuses in utero under 45 CFR 46.204(b)
     facilities.                                             paid family and medical leave to public                and 42 U.S.C. 289g(b)). The prohibition on payment
                                                                                                                    for abortions and health benefits coverage that
        • Expenses of establishing temporary                 employees to enable compliance with                    includes coverage of abortion does not apply to an
     public medical facilities and other                     COVID–19 public health precautions.                    abortion if the pregnancy is the result of an act of
     measures to increase COVID–19                              • COVID–19-related expenses of                      rape or incest; or in the case where a woman suffers
     treatment capacity, including related                   maintaining state prisons and county                   from a physical disorder, physical injury, or
                                                             jails, including as relates to sanitation              physical illness, including a life-endangering
     construction costs.                                                                                            physical condition caused by or arising from the
        • Costs of providing COVID–19                        and improvement of social distancing                   pregnancy itself, that would, as certified by a
     testing, including serological testing.                 measures, to enable compliance with                    physician, place the woman in danger of death
        • Emergency medical response                         COVID–19 public health precautions.                    unless an abortion is performed. These provisions

     expenses, including emergency medical                      • Expenses for care for homeless                    do not prohibit the expenditure by a State, locality,
                                                                                                                    entity, or private person of State, local, or private
     transportation, related to COVID–19.                    populations provided to mitigate                       funds (other than a State’s or locality’s contribution
                                                             COVID–19 effects and enable
        • Expenses for establishing and                                                                             of Medicaid matching funds). These provisions do
                                                             compliance with COVID–19 public                        not restrict the ability of a managed care provider
     operating public telemedicine                                                                                  from offering abortion coverage or the ability of a
                                                             health precautions.
     capabilities for COVID–19-related                          5. Expenses associated with the                     State or locality to contract separately with such a
     treatment.                                              provision of economic support in
                                                                                                                    provider for such coverage with State funds (other
        2. Public health expenses such as:                                                                          than a State’s or locality’s contribution of Medicaid
                                                             connection with the COVID–19 public                    matching funds). Furthermore, no government
        • Expenses for communication and                     health emergency, such as:                             which receives payments from the Fund may
     enforcement by State, territorial, local,                  • Expenditures related to the                       discriminate against a health care entity on the
     and Tribal governments of public health                 provision of grants to small businesses                basis that the entity does not provide, pay for,
     orders related to COVID–19.                                                                                    provide coverage of, or refer for abortions. Except
                                                             to reimburse the costs of business                     with respect to certain law enforcement and
        • Expenses for acquisition and                       interruption caused by required                        adjudication activities, no funds may be used to
     distribution of medical and protective                  closures.                                              maintain or establish a computer network unless
     supplies, including sanitizing products                    • Expenditures related to a State,                  such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and
     and personal protective equipment, for                                                                         exchanging of pornography. No payments from the
                                                             territorial, local, or Tribal government               Fund may be provided to the Association of
     medical personnel, police officers,                     payroll support program.                               Community Organizations for Reform Now
     social workers, child protection                           • Unemployment insurance costs                      (ACORN) or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, allied
     services, and child welfare officers,                   related to the COVID–19 public health                  organizations, or successors. For the full text of
     direct service providers for older adults               emergency if such costs will not be                    these requirements, see Title V of Pubic Law 116–
                                                                                                                    94 (133 Stat. 2605 et seq.), available at https://
     and individuals with disabilities in                    reimbursed by the federal government                   www.congress.gov/116/plaws/publ94/PLAW-
     community settings, and other public                    pursuant to the CARES Act or                           116publ94.pdf.
     health or safety workers in connection                  otherwise.                                               3 See 42 CFR 433.51 and 45 CFR 75.306.




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                                    Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices                                             4185

       4. Expenses that have been or will be                 include, for example, the costs of                     that public safety employees would
     reimbursed under any federal program,                   redeploying educational support staff or               include police officers (including state
     such as the reimbursement by the                        faculty to develop online learning                     police officers), sheriffs and deputy
     federal government pursuant to the                      capabilities, such as through providing                sheriffs, firefighters, emergency medical
     CARES Act of contributions by States to                 information technology support that is                 responders, correctional and detention
     State unemployment funds.                               not part of the staff or faculty’s ordinary            officers, and those who directly support
       5. Reimbursement to donors for                        responsibilities.                                      such employees such as dispatchers and
     donated items or services.                                                                                     supervisory personnel. Public health
       6. Workforce bonuses other than                       Substantially Dedicated
                                                                                                                    employees would include employees
     hazard pay or overtime.                                    Within this category of substantially               involved in providing medical and other
       7. Severance pay.                                     different uses, as stated in the Guidance              health services to patients and
       8. Legal settlements.                                 above, Treasury has included payroll                   supervisory personnel, including
                                                             and benefits expenses for public safety,               medical staff assigned to schools,
     Supplemental Guidance on Use of
                                                             public health, health care, human                      prisons, and other such institutions, and
     Funds To Cover Payroll and Benefits of
                                                             services, and similar employees whose                  other support services essential for
     Public Employees
                                                             services are substantially dedicated to                patient care (e.g., laboratory technicians)
        As discussed in the Guidance above,                  mitigating or responding to the COVID–                 as well as employees of public health
     the CARES Act provides that payments                    19 public health emergency. The full                   departments directly engaged in matters
     from the Fund must be used only to                      amount of payroll and benefits expenses                related to public health and related
     cover costs that were not accounted for                 of substantially dedicated employees                   supervisory personnel.
     in the budget most recently approved as                 may be covered using payments from
     of March 27, 2020. As reflected in the                  the Fund. Treasury has not developed a                 Not Substantially Dedicated
     Guidance and FAQs, Treasury has not                     precise definition of what ‘‘substantially                As provided in FAQ A.47, a State,
     interpreted this provision to limit                     dedicated’’ means given that there is not              local, or tribal government may also
     eligible costs to those that are                        a precise way to define this term across               track time spent by employees related to
     incremental increases above amounts                     different employment types. The                        COVID–19 and apply Fund payments on
     previously budgeted. Rather, Treasury                   relevant unit of government should                     that basis but would need to do so
     has interpreted this provision to exclude               maintain documentation of the                          consistently within the relevant agency
     items that were already covered for their               ‘‘substantially dedicated’’ conclusion                 or department. This means, for example,
     original use (or a substantially similar                with respect to its employees.                         that a government could cover payroll
     use). This guidance reflects the intent                    If an employee is not substantially                 expenses allocated on an hourly basis to
     behind the Fund, which was not to                       dedicated to mitigating or responding to               employees’ time dedicated to mitigating
     provide general fiscal assistance to state              the COVID–19 public health emergency,                  or responding to the COVID–19 public
     governments but rather to assist them                   his or her payroll and benefits expenses               health emergency. This result provides
     with COVID–19-related necessary                         may not be covered in full with                        equitable treatment to governments that,
     expenditures. With respect to personnel                 payments from the Fund. A portion of                   for example, instead of having a few
     expenses, though the Fund was not                       such expenses may be able to be                        employees who are substantially
     intended to be used to cover                            covered, however, as discussed below.                  dedicated to the public health
     government payroll expenses generally,                                                                         emergency, have many employees who
                                                             Public Health and Public Safety
     the Fund was intended to provide                                                                               have a minority of their time dedicated
     assistance to address increased                            In recognition of the particular                    to the public health emergency.
     expenses, such as the expense of hiring                 importance of public health and public
                                                             safety workers to State, local, and tribal             Covered Benefits
     new personnel as needed to assist with
     the government’s response to the public                 government responses to the public                       Payroll and benefits of a substantially
     health emergency and to allow                           health emergency, Treasury has                         dedicated employee may be covered
     recipients facing budget pressures not to               provided, as an administrative                         using payments from the Fund to the
     have to lay off or furlough employees                   accommodation, that a State, local, or                 extent incurred between March 1 and
     who would be needed to assist with that                 tribal government may presume that                     December 31, 2021.
     purpose.                                                public health and public safety                          Payroll includes certain hazard pay
                                                             employees meet the substantially                       and overtime, but not workforce
     Substantially Different Use                             dedicated test, unless the chief                       bonuses. As discussed in FAQ A.29,
        As stated in the Guidance above,                     executive (or equivalent) of the relevant              hazard pay may be covered using
     Treasury considers the requirement that                 government determines that specific                    payments from the Fund if it is
     payments from the Fund be used only                     circumstances indicate otherwise. This                 provided for performing hazardous duty
     to cover costs that were not accounted                  means that, if this presumption applies,               or work involving physical hardship
     for in the budget most recently                         work performed by such employees is                    that in each case is related to COVID–
     approved as of March 27, 2020, to be                    considered to be a substantially                       19. This means that, whereas payroll
     met if either (a) the cost cannot lawfully              different use than accounted for in the                and benefits of an employee who is
     be funded using a line item, allotment,                 most recently approved budget as of                    substantially dedicated to mitigating or
     or allocation within that budget or (b)                 March 27, 2020. All costs of such                      responding to the COVID–19 public
     the cost is for a substantially different               employees may be covered using                         health emergency may generally be
     use from any expected use of funds in                   payments from the Fund for services                    covered in full using payments from the
     such a line item, allotment, or                         provided during the period that begins                 Fund, hazard pay specifically may only
     allocation.                                             on March 1, 2020, and ends on                          be covered to the extent it is related to
        Treasury has provided examples as to                 December 31, 2021.                                     COVID–19. For example, a recipient
     what would constitute a substantially                      In response to questions regarding                  may use payments from the Fund to
     different use. Treasury provided (in                    which employees are within the scope                   cover hazard pay for a police officer
     FAQ A.3) that costs incurred for a                      of this accommodation, Treasury is                     coming in close contact with members
     substantially different use would                       supplementing this guidance to clarify                 of the public to enforce public health or


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     4186                                           Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices

     public safety orders, but across-the-                                               are applicable to indirect costs do not                                            Security Act and Treasury’s guidance, a
     board hazard pay for all members of a                                               apply. Recipients may not apply their                                              necessary administrative compliance
     police department regardless of their                                               indirect costs rates to payments received                                          expense that relates to such underlying
     duties would not be able to be covered                                              from the Fund.                                                                     cost may be incurred after December 31,
     with payments from the Fund. This                                                      Recipients may, if they meet the                                                2021. Such an expense would include,
     position reflects the statutory intent                                              conditions specified in the guidance for                                           for example, expenses incurred to
     discussed above: the Fund was intended                                              tracking time consistently across a                                                comply with the Single Audit Act and
     to be used to help governments address                                              department, use payments from the                                                  reporting and recordkeeping
     the public health emergency both by                                                 Fund to cover the portion of payroll and                                           requirements imposed by the Office of
     providing funds for incremental                                                     benefits of employees corresponding to                                             Inspector General. A recipient with such
     expenses (such as hazard pay related to                                             time spent on administrative work                                                  necessary administrative expenses, such
     COVID–19) and to allow governments                                                  necessary due to the COVID–19 public                                               as an ongoing audit continuing past
     not to have to furlough or lay off                                                  health emergency. (In other words, such                                            December 31, 2021, that relates to Fund
     employees needed to address the public                                              costs would be eligible direct costs of                                            expenditures incurred during the
     health emergency but was not intended                                               the recipient). This includes, but is not                                          covered period, must report to the
     to provide across-the-board budget                                                  limited to, costs related to disbursing                                            Treasury Office of Inspector General by
     support (as would be the case if hazard                                             payments from the Fund and managing                                                the quarter ending September 2022 an
     pay regardless of its relation to COVID–                                            new grant programs established using                                               estimate of the amount of such
     19 or workforce bonuses were permitted                                              payments from the Fund.                                                            necessary administrative expenses.
     to be covered using payments from the                                                  As with any other costs to be covered
                                                                                         using payments from the Fund, any                                                  Instructions for State, Territorial,
     Fund).
                                                                                         such administrative costs must be                                                  Local, and Tribal Governments To
       Relatedly, both hazard pay and
                                                                                         incurred by December 31, 2021, with an                                             Return Unused Coronavirus Relief
     overtime pay for employees that are not
                                                                                         exception for certain compliance costs                                             Fund Payments to the Department of
     substantially dedicated may only be
                                                                                         as discussed below. Furthermore, as                                                the Treasury
     covered using the Fund if the hazard
     pay and overtime pay is for COVID–19-                                               discussed in the Guidance above, as                                                   Any remaining amount of payments
     related duties. As discussed above,                                                 with any other cost, an administrative                                             from the Fund not used for eligible
     governments may allocate payroll and                                                cost that has been or will be reimbursed                                           expenses incurred during the covered
     benefits of such employees with respect                                             under any federal program may not be                                               period must be returned to Treasury in
     to time worked on COVID–19-related                                                  covered with the Fund. For example, if                                             one of three ways, set forth below.
     matters.                                                                            an administrative cost is already being
                                                                                                                                                                               Please note that these instructions are
       Covered benefits include, but are not                                             covered as a direct or indirect cost
                                                                                                                                                                            for Fund recipients to return the balance
     limited to, the costs of all types of leave                                         pursuant to another federal grant, the
                                                                                                                                                                            of unused Fund payments to Treasury.
     (vacation, family-related, sick, military,                                          Fund may not be used to cover that cost.
                                                                                                                                                                            If the Treasury Office of Inspector
     bereavement, sabbatical, jury duty),                                                Compliance Costs Related to the Fund                                               General determines that a Fund
     employee insurance (health, life, dental,                                                                                                                              recipient has failed to comply with the
                                                                                           As previously stated in FAQ B.11,
     vision), retirement (pensions, 401(k)),                                                                                                                                use restrictions set forth in section
                                                                                         recipients are permitted to use
     unemployment benefit plans (federal                                                                                                                                    601(d) of the Social Security Act, the
                                                                                         payments from the Fund to cover the
     and state), workers compensation                                                                                                                                       Fund recipient should follow the
                                                                                         expenses of an audit conducted under
     insurance, and Federal Insurance                                                                                                                                       instructions provided by the Treasury
                                                                                         the Single Audit Act, subject to the
     Contributions Act (FICA) taxes (which                                                                                                                                  Office of Inspector General for
                                                                                         limitations set forth in 2 CFR 200.425.
     includes Social Security and Medicare                                                                                                                                  satisfaction of the related debt rather
                                                                                         Pursuant to that provision of the
     taxes).                                                                                                                                                                than following these instructions.
                                                                                         Uniform Guidance, recipients and
     Supplemental Guidance on Use of                                                     subrecipients subject to the Single Audit                                             1. Fedwire receipts—Treasury can
     Funds To Cover Administrative Costs                                                 Act may use payments from the Fund to                                              accept Fedwire payments for the return
                                                                                         cover a reasonably proportionate share                                             of funds to Treasury.
     General                                                                                                                                                                   Please provide the following
                                                                                         of the costs of audits attributable to the
       Payments from the Fund are not                                                    Fund.                                                                              instructions to your Financial
     administered as part of a traditional                                                 To the extent a cost is incurred by                                              Institution for the remittance of Fedwire
     grant program and the provisions of the                                             December 31, 2021, for an eligible use                                             payments to the Department of the
     Uniform Guidance, 2 CFR part 200, that                                              consistent with section 601 of the Social                                          Treasury.
                                                                                                        FEDWIRE INSTRUCTIONS
                                 Fedwire field tag                                                                Fedwire field name                                                         Required information

     {1510} ..........................................................................   Type/Subtype ...............................................................       1000
     {2000} ..........................................................................   Amount ........................................................................    (enter payment amount)
     {3400} ..........................................................................   Receiver ABA routing number * ...................................                  021030004
     {3400} ..........................................................................   Receiver ABA short name ...........................................                TREAS NYC
     {3600} ..........................................................................   Business Function Code ..............................................              CTR
     {4200} ..........................................................................   Beneficiary Identifier (account number) .......................                    820010001000
     {4200} ..........................................................................   Beneficiary Name ........................................................          DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
     {5000} ..........................................................................   Originator .....................................................................   (enter the name of the originator of the payment)
     {6000} ..........................................................................   Originator to Beneficiary Information—Line 1 .............                         (enter information to identify the purpose of the pay-
                                                                                                                                                                              ment)
     {6000} ..........................................................................   Originator to Beneficiary Information—Line 2 .............                         (enter information to identify the purpose of the pay-
                                                                                                                                                                              ment)
     {6000} ..........................................................................   Originator to Beneficiary Information—Line 3 .............                         (enter information to identify the purpose of the pay-
                                                                                                                                                                              ment)




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                                                    Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices                                                                             4187

                                                                                          FEDWIRE INSTRUCTIONS—Continued
                                 Fedwire field tag                                                          Fedwire field name                                             Required information

     {6000} ..........................................................................   Originator to Beneficiary Information—Line 4 .............       (enter information to identify the purpose of the pay-
                                                                                                                                                            ment)
        * The financial institution address for Treasury’s routing number is 33 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10045.


       2. ACH receipts —Treasury can accept                                                Please provide the following                                   Automated Clearing House (ACH)
     ACH payment for the return of funds to                                              instructions to your Financial                                   credits to the Department of the
     Treasury.                                                                           Institution for the remittance of                                Treasury.

                                                                                                 ACH CREDIT INSTRUCTIONS
           NACHA                          NACHA                                                    NACHA
         record type                                                                                                                                                 Required information
                                           field                                             data element name
            code

     5 ......................                         3           Company Name ...........................................................          (enter the name of the payor)
     5 ......................                         6           Standard Entry Class Code .........................................               CCD
     5 ......................                         9           Effective Entry Date .....................................................        (enter intended settlement date)
     6 ......................                         2           Transaction Code * ......................................................         22
     6 ......................                       3&4           Receiving DFI Identification (ABA routing #) ..............                       051036706
     6 ......................                         5           DFI Account Number ...................................................            820010001000
     6 ......................                         6           Amount ........................................................................   (enter payment amount)
     6 ......................                         8           Receiving Company Name ..........................................                 Department of the Treasury
        * ACH debits are not permitted to this ABA routing number. All debits received will be automatically returned.


       3. Check receipts (not preferred)—                                                2. The Guidance says that funding can                            necessarily limited to, costs of
     Checks may be sent to one of the                                                    be used to meet payroll expenses for                             personnel and services that were
     following addresses (depending on the                                               public safety, public health, health care,                       budgeted for in the most recently
     method of delivery).                                                                human services, and similar employees                            approved budget but which, due
                                                                                         whose services are substantially                                 entirely to the COVID–19 public health
     U.S. MAIL/PARCEL DELIVERY ADDRESS                                                   dedicated to mitigating or responding to                         emergency, have been diverted to
                                                                                         the COVID–19 public health emergency.                            substantially different functions. This
      U.S. Mail address—                         Parcel delivery ad-                     How does a government determine                                  would include, for example, the costs of
          processing                             dress—processing                        whether payroll expenses for a given                             redeploying corrections facility staff to
                                                                                         employee satisfy the ‘‘substantially                             enable compliance with COVID–19
     Fiscal Accounting                         Fiscal Accounting                         dedicated’’ condition?                                           public health precautions through work
       Program, Admin &                          Program, Admin &                                                                                         such as enhanced sanitation or
       Training Group.                           Training Group.                            The Fund is designed to provide                               enforcing social distancing measures;
     Avery Street A3–G,                        Avery Street A3–G,                        ready funding to address unforeseen                              the costs of redeploying police to
       Bureau of the Fis-                        Fiscal Service                          financial needs and risks created by the                         support management and enforcement
       cal Service, P.O.                         Warehouse & Op-                         COVID–19 public health emergency. For
       Box 1328, Parkers-                        erations Center
                                                                                                                                                          of stay-at-home orders; or the costs of
                                                                                         this reason, and as a matter of                                  diverting educational support staff or
       burg, WV 26106–                           Dock 1, 257 Bosley                      administrative convenience in light of
       1328.                                     Industrial Park                                                                                          faculty to develop online learning
                                                 Drive, Parkersburg
                                                                                         the emergency nature of this program, a                          capabilities, such as through providing
                                                 WV 26106.                               State, territorial, local, or Tribal                             information technology support that is
                                                                                         government may presume that payroll                              not part of the staff or faculty’s ordinary
                                                                                         costs for public health and public safety                        responsibilities.
     Frequently Asked Questions
                                                                                         employees are payments for services                                 Note that a public function does not
       The following answers to frequently                                               substantially dedicated to mitigating or                         become a ‘‘substantially different use’’
     asked questions supplement Treasury’s                                               responding to the COVID–19 public                                merely because it is provided from a
     Coronavirus Relief Fund Guidance for                                                health emergency, unless the chief                               different location or through a different
     State, Territorial, Local, and Tribal                                               executive (or equivalent) of the relevant                        manner. For example, although
     Governments.                                                                        government determines that specific                              developing online instruction
                                                                                         circumstances indicate otherwise.                                capabilities may be a substantially
     A. Eligible Expenditures                                                                                                                             different use of funds, online instruction
                                                                                         3. The Guidance says that a cost was not
     1. Are governments required to submit                                               accounted for in the most recently                               itself is not a substantially different use
     proposed expenditures to Treasury for                                               approved budget if the cost is for a                             of public funds than classroom
     approval?                                                                           substantially different use from any                             instruction.
                                                                                         expected use of funds in such a line                             4. May a State receiving a payment
       No. Governments are responsible for                                               item, allotment, or allocation. What                             transfer funds to a local government?
     making determinations as to what                                                    would qualify as a ‘‘substantially
     expenditures are necessary due to the                                                                                                                   Yes, provided that the transfer
                                                                                         different use’’ for purposes of the Fund
     public health emergency with respect to                                                                                                              qualifies as a necessary expenditure
                                                                                         eligibility?
                                                                                                                                                          incurred due to the public health
     COVID–19 and do not need to submit
                                                                                           Costs incurred for a ‘‘substantially                           emergency and meets the other criteria
     any proposed expenditures to Treasury.
                                                                                         different use’’ include, but are not                             of section 601(d) of the Social Security


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     4188                           Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices

     Act. Such funds would be subject to                     9. Are States permitted to use Fund                    meant by an expense that was not
     recoupment by the Treasury Department                   payments to support state                              accounted for in the budget most
     if they have not been used in a manner                  unemployment insurance funds                           recently approved as of March 27, 2020.
     consistent with section 601(d) of the                   generally?
                                                                                                                    12. In some cases, first responders and
     Social Security Act.                                       To the extent that the costs incurred               critical health care workers that contract
     5. May a unit of local government                       by a state unemployment insurance                      COVID–19 are eligible for workers’
     receiving a Fund payment transfer funds                 fund are incurred due to the COVID–19                  compensation coverage. Is the cost of
     to another unit of government?                          public health emergency, a State may                   this expanded workers compensation
                                                             use Fund payments to make payments                     coverage eligible?
        Yes. For example, a county may                       to its respective state unemployment
     transfer funds to a city, town, or school               insurance fund, separate and apart from                  Increased workers compensation cost
     district within the county and a county                 such State’s obligation to the                         to the government due to the COVID–19
     or city may transfer funds to its State,                unemployment insurance fund as an                      public health emergency incurred
                                                             employer. This will permit States to use               during the period beginning March 1,
     provided that the transfer qualifies as a
                                                             Fund payments to prevent expenses                      2020, and ending December 31, 2021, is
     necessary expenditure incurred due to
                                                             related to the public health emergency                 an eligible expense.
     the public health emergency and meets
     the other criteria of section 601(d) of the             from causing their state unemployment                  13. If a recipient would have
     Social Security Act outlined in the                     insurance funds to become insolvent.                   decommissioned equipment or not
     Guidance. For example, a transfer from                  10. Are recipients permitted to use Fund               renewed a lease on particular office
     a county to a constituent city would not                payments to pay for unemployment                       space or equipment but decides to
     be permissible if the funds were                        insurance costs incurred by the                        continue to use the equipment or to
     intended to be used simply to fill                      recipient as an employer?                              renew the lease in order to respond to
     shortfalls in government revenue to                                                                            the public health emergency, are the
     cover expenditures that would not                         Yes, Fund payments may be used for                   costs associated with continuing to
     otherwise qualify as an eligible                        unemployment insurance costs incurred                  operate the equipment or the ongoing
     expenditure.                                            by the recipient as an employer (for                   lease payments eligible expenses?
                                                             example, as a reimbursing employer)
     6. Is a Fund payment recipient required                 related to the COVID–19 public health                     Yes. To the extent the expenses were
     to transfer funds to a smaller,                         emergency if such costs will not be                    previously unbudgeted and are
     constituent unit of government within                   reimbursed by the federal government                   otherwise consistent with section 601(d)
     its borders?                                            pursuant to the CARES Act or                           of the Social Security Act outlined in
                                                             otherwise.                                             the Guidance, such expenses would be
        No. For example, a county recipient is                                                                      eligible.
     not required to transfer funds to smaller               11. The Guidance states that the Fund
                                                             may support a ‘‘broad range of uses’’                  14. May recipients provide stipends to
     cities within the county’s borders.                                                                            employees for eligible expenses (for
                                                             including payroll expenses for several
     7. Are recipients required to use other                 classes of employees whose services are                example, a stipend to employees to
     federal funds or seek reimbursement                     ‘‘substantially dedicated to mitigating or             improve telework capabilities) rather
     under other federal programs before                     responding to the COVID–19 public                      than require employees to incur the
     using Fund payments to satisfy eligible                 health emergency.’’ What are some                      eligible cost and submit for
     expenses?                                               examples of types of covered                           reimbursement?
                                                             employees?                                                Expenditures paid for with payments
       No. Recipients may use Fund
     payments for any expenses eligible                        The Guidance provides examples of                    from the Fund must be limited to those
     under section 601(d) of the Social                      broad classes of employees whose                       that are necessary due to the public
                                                             payroll expenses would be eligible                     health emergency. As such, unless the
     Security Act outlined in the Guidance.
                                                             expenses under the Fund. These classes                 government were to determine that
     Fund payments are not required to be
                                                             of employees include public safety,                    providing assistance in the form of a
     used as the source of funding of last
                                                             public health, health care, human                      stipend is an administrative necessity,
     resort. However, as noted below,
                                                             services, and similar employees whose                  the government should provide such
     recipients may not use payments from
                                                             services are substantially dedicated to                assistance on a reimbursement basis to
     the Fund to cover expenditures for                                                                             ensure as much as possible that funds
                                                             mitigating or responding to the COVID–
     which they will receive reimbursement.                                                                         are used to cover only eligible expenses.
                                                             19 public health emergency. Payroll and
     8. Are there prohibitions on combining                  benefit costs associated with public                   15. May Fund payments be used for
     a transaction supported with Fund                       employees who could have been                          COVID–19 public health emergency
     payments with other CARES Act                           furloughed or otherwise laid off but who               recovery planning?
     funding or COVID–19 relief Federal                      were instead repurposed to perform
     funding?                                                previously unbudgeted functions                          Yes. Expenses associated with
                                                             substantially dedicated to mitigating or               conducting a recovery planning project
        Recipients will need to consider the                 responding to the COVID–19 public                      or operating a recovery coordination
     applicable restrictions and limitations of              health emergency are also covered.                     office would be eligible, if the expenses
     such other sources of funding. In                       Other eligible expenditures include                    otherwise meet the criteria set forth in
     addition, expenses that have been or                    payroll and benefit costs of educational               section 601(d) of the Social Security Act
     will be reimbursed under any federal                    support staff or faculty responsible for               outlined in the Guidance.
     program, such as the reimbursement by                   developing online learning capabilities
                                                                                                                    16. Are expenses associated with
     the federal government pursuant to the                  necessary to continue educational
                                                                                                                    contact tracing eligible?
     CARES Act of contributions by States to                 instruction in response to COVID–19-
     State unemployment funds, are not                       related school closures. Please see the                   Yes, expenses associated with contact
     eligible uses of Fund payments.                         Guidance for a discussion of what is                   tracing are eligible.


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                                    Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices                                             4189

     17. To what extent may a government                     22. May recipients use Fund payments                   25. The Guidance provides that
     use Fund payments to support the                        to cover employment and training                       expenses associated with the provision
     operations of private hospitals?                        programs for employees that have been                  of economic support in connection with
                                                             furloughed due to the public health                    the public health emergency, such as
       Governments may use Fund payments                     emergency?                                             expenditures related to the provision of
     to support public or private hospitals to                                                                      grants to small businesses to reimburse
     the extent that the costs are necessary                    Yes, this would be an eligible expense              the costs of business interruption
     expenditures incurred due to the                        if the government determined that the                  caused by required closures, would
     COVID–19 public health emergency, but                   costs of such employment and training                  constitute eligible expenditures of Fund
     the form such assistance would take                     programs would be necessary due to the                 payments. Would such expenditures be
     may differ. In particular, financial                    public health emergency.                               eligible in the absence of a stay-at-home
     assistance to private hospitals could                                                                          order?
     take the form of a grant or a short-term                23. May recipients use Fund payments
                                                             to provide emergency financial                            Fund payments may be used for
     loan.                                                                                                          economic support in the absence of a
                                                             assistance to individuals and families
     18. May payments from the Fund be                                                                              stay-at-home order if such expenditures
                                                             directly impacted by a loss of income                  are determined by the government to be
     used to assist individuals with enrolling               due to the COVID–19 public health
     in a government benefit program for                                                                            necessary. This may include, for
                                                             emergency?                                             example, a grant program to benefit
     those who have been laid off due to
     COVID–19 and thereby lost health                           Yes, if a government determines such                small businesses that close voluntarily
     insurance?                                              assistance to be a necessary                           to promote social distancing measures
                                                                                                                    or that are affected by decreased
                                                             expenditure. Such assistance could
       Yes. To the extent that the relevant                                                                         customer demand as a result of the
                                                             include, for example, a program to assist
     government official determines that                                                                            COVID–19 public health emergency.
                                                             individuals with payment of overdue
     these expenses are necessary and they                                                                          26. May Fund payments be used to
                                                             rent or mortgage payments to avoid
     meet the other requirements set forth in                                                                       assist impacted property owners with
     section 601(d) of the Social Security Act               eviction or foreclosure or unforeseen
                                                             financial costs for funerals and other                 the payment of their property taxes?
     outlined in the Guidance, these
     expenses are eligible.                                  emergency individual needs. Such                         Fund payments may not be used for
                                                             assistance should be structured in a                   government revenue replacement,
     19. May recipients use Fund payments                    manner to ensure as much as possible,                  including the provision of assistance to
     to facilitate livestock depopulation                    within the realm of what is                            meet tax obligations.
     incurred by producers due to supply                     administratively feasible, that such                   27. May Fund payments be used to
     chain disruptions?                                      assistance is necessary.                               replace foregone utility fees? If not, can
       Yes, to the extent these efforts are                  24. The Guidance provides that eligible                Fund payments be used as a direct
     deemed necessary for public health                      expenditures may include expenditures                  subsidy payment to all utility account
     reasons or as a form of economic                        related to the provision of grants to                  holders?
     support as a result of the COVID–19                     small businesses to reimburse the costs                  Fund payments may not be used for
     health emergency.                                       of business interruption caused by                     government revenue replacement,
                                                             required closures. What is meant by a                  including the replacement of unpaid
     20. Would providing a consumer grant                                                                           utility fees. Fund payments may be used
     program to prevent eviction and assist                  ‘‘small business,’’ and is the Guidance
                                                             intended to refer only to expenditures to              for subsidy payments to electricity
     in preventing homelessness be                                                                                  account holders to the extent that the
     considered an eligible expense?                         cover administrative expenses of such a
                                                             grant program?                                         subsidy payments are deemed by the
       Yes, assuming that the recipient                                                                             recipient to be necessary expenditures
     considers the grants to be a necessary                     Governments have discretion to                      incurred due to the COVID–19 public
     expense incurred due to the COVID–19                    determine what payments are necessary.                 health emergency and meet the other
     public health emergency and the grants                  A program that is aimed at assisting                   criteria of section 601(d) of the Social
     meet the other requirements for the use                 small businesses with the costs of                     Security Act outlined in the Guidance.
     of Fund payments under section 601(d)                   business interruption caused by                        For example, if determined to be a
     of the Social Security Act outlined in                  required closures should be tailored to                necessary expenditure, a government
     the Guidance. As a general matter,                                                                             could provide grants to individuals
                                                             assist those businesses in need of such
     providing assistance to recipients to                                                                          facing economic hardship to allow them
                                                             assistance. The amount of a grant to a
     enable them to meet property tax                                                                               to pay their utility fees and thereby
                                                             small business to reimburse the costs of               continue to receive essential services.
     requirements would not be an eligible                   business interruption caused by
     use of funds, but exceptions may be                     required closures would also be an                     28. Could Fund payments be used for
     made in the case of assistance designed                 eligible expenditure under section                     capital improvement projects that
     to prevent foreclosures.                                601(d) of the Social Security Act, as                  broadly provide potential economic
                                                             outlined in the Guidance.                              development in a community?
     21. May recipients create a ‘‘payroll
     support program’’ for public employees?                                                                          In general, no. If capital improvement
                                                                                                                    projects are not necessary expenditures
       Use of payments from the Fund to                                                                             incurred due to the COVID–19 public
     cover payroll or benefits expenses of                                                                          health emergency, then Fund payments
     public employees are limited to those                                                                          may not be used for such projects.
     employees whose work duties are                                                                                  However, Fund payments may be
     substantially dedicated to mitigating or                                                                       used for the expenses of, for example,
     responding to the COVID–19 public                                                                              establishing temporary public medical
     health emergency.                                                                                              facilities and other measures to increase


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     4190                           Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices

     COVID–19 treatment capacity or                          33. Should States receiving a payment                  payments to advisors and underwriters,
     improve mitigation measures, including                  transfer funds to local governments that               associated with the issuance of the
     related construction costs.                             did not receive payments directly from                 TANs.
                                                             Treasury?
     29. The Guidance includes workforce                                                                            36. May recipients use Fund payments
     bonuses as an example of ineligible                        Yes, provided that the transferred                  to expand rural broadband capacity to
     expenses but provides that hazard pay                   funds are used by the local government                 assist with distance learning and
     would be eligible if otherwise                          for eligible expenditures under the                    telework?
     determined to be a necessary expense. Is                statute. To facilitate prompt distribution                Such expenditures would only be
     there a specific definition of ‘‘hazard                 of Title V funds, the CARES Act                        permissible if they are necessary for the
     pay’’?                                                  authorized Treasury to make direct                     public health emergency. The cost of
                                                             payments to local governments with                     projects that would not be expected to
       Hazard pay means additional pay for                   populations in excess of 500,000, in                   increase capacity to a significant extent
     performing hazardous duty or work                       amounts equal to 45% of the local                      until the need for distance learning and
     involving physical hardship, in each                    government’s per capita share of the                   telework have passed due to this public
     case that is related to COVID–19.                       statewide allocation. This statutory                   health emergency would not be
                                                             structure was based on a recognition                   necessary due to the public health
     30. The Guidance provides that
                                                             that it is more administratively feasible              emergency and thus would not be
     ineligible expenditures include
                                                             to rely on States, rather than the federal             eligible uses of Fund payments.
     ‘‘[p]ayroll or benefits expenses for
                                                             government, to manage the transfer of
     employees whose work duties are not
                                                             funds to smaller local governments.                    37. Are costs associated with increased
     substantially dedicated to mitigating or
                                                             Consistent with the needs of all local                 solid waste capacity an eligible use of
     responding to the COVID–19 public
                                                             governments for funding to address the                 payments from the Fund?
     health emergency.’’ Is this intended to
                                                             public health emergency, States should                   Yes, costs to address increase in solid
     relate only to public employees?
                                                             transfer funds to local governments with               waste as a result of the public health
       Yes. This particular nonexclusive                     populations of 500,000 or less, using as               emergency, such as relates to the
     example of an ineligible expenditure                    a benchmark the per capita allocation                  disposal of used personal protective
     relates to public employees. A recipient                formula that governs payments to larger                equipment, would be an eligible
     would not be permitted to pay for                       local governments. This approach will                  expenditure.
     payroll or benefit expenses of private                  ensure equitable treatment among local
     employees and any financial assistance                  governments of all sizes.                              38. May payments from the Fund be
     (such as grants or short-term loans) to                    For example, a State received the                   used to cover across-the-board hazard
     private employers are not subject to the                minimum $1.25 billion allocation and                   pay for employees working during a
     restriction that the private employers’                 had one county with a population over                  state of emergency?
     employees must be substantially                         500,000 that received $250 million                       No. Hazard pay means additional pay
     dedicated to mitigating or responding to                directly. The State should distribute 45               for performing hazardous duty or work
     the COVID–19 public health emergency.                   percent of the $1 billion it received, or              involving physical hardship, in each
                                                             $450 million, to local governments                     case that is related to COVID–19.
     31. May counties pre-pay with CARES                     within the State with a population of                  Payments from the fund may only be
     Act funds for expenses such as a one or                 500,000 or less.                                       used to cover such hazard pay.
     two-year facility lease, such as to house
     staff hired in response to COVID–19?                    34. May a State impose restrictions on                 39. May Fund payments be used for
                                                             transfers of funds to local governments?               expenditures related to the
       A government should not make                            Yes, to the extent that the restrictions             administration of Fund payments by a
     prepayments on contracts using                          facilitate the State’s compliance with                 State, territorial, local, or Tribal
     payments from the Fund to the extent                    the requirements set forth in section                  government?
     that doing so would not be consistent                   601(d) of the Social Security Act                        Yes, if the administrative expenses
     with its ordinary course policies and                   outlined in the Guidance and other                     represent an increase over previously
     procedures.                                             applicable requirements such as the                    budgeted amounts and are limited to
     32. Must a stay-at-home order or other                  Single Audit Act, discussed below.                     what is necessary. For example, a State
     public health mandate be in effect in                   Other restrictions, such as restrictions               may expend Fund payments on
     order for a government to provide                       on reopening that do not directly                      necessary administrative expenses
     assistance to small businesses using                    concern the use of funds, are not                      incurred with respect to a new grant
     payments from the Fund?                                 permissible.                                           program established to disburse
                                                             35. If a recipient must issue tax                      amounts received from the Fund.
        No. The Guidance provides, as an
     example of an eligible use of payments                  anticipation notes (TANs) to make up                   40. May recipients use Fund payments
     from the Fund, expenditures related to                  for tax due date deferrals or revenue                  to provide loans?
     the provision of grants to small                        shortfalls, are the expenses associated                   Yes, if the loans otherwise qualify as
     businesses to reimburse the costs of                    with the issuance eligible uses of Fund                eligible expenditures under section
     business interruption caused by                         payments?                                              601(d) of the Social Security Act as
     required closures. Such assistance may                     If a government determines that the                 implemented by the Guidance. Any
     be provided using amounts received                      issuance of TANs is necessary due to                   amounts repaid by the borrower before
     from the Fund in the absence of a                       the COVID–19 public health emergency,                  December 31, 2021, must be either
     requirement to close businesses if the                  the government may expend payments                     returned to Treasury upon receipt by the
     relevant government determines that                     from the Fund on the interest expense                  unit of government providing the loan
     such expenditures are necessary in                      payable on TANs by the borrower and                    or used for another expense that
     response to the public health                           unbudgeted administrative and                          qualifies as an eligible expenditure
     emergency.                                              transactional costs, such as necessary                 under section 601(d) of the Social


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     Security Act. Any amounts not repaid                    financial assistance provided would                    48. May Fund payments be used to
     by the borrower until after December 31,                have to be related to COVID–19.                        cover increased administrative leave
     2021, must be returned to Treasury                                                                             costs of public employees who could
     upon receipt by the unit of government                  45. May recipients use Fund payments                   not telework in the event of a stay at
     lending the funds.                                      to remarket the recipient’s convention                 home order or a case of COVID–19 in
                                                             facilities and tourism industry?                       the workplace?
     41. May Fund payments be used for
     expenditures necessary to prepare for a                   Yes, if the costs of such remarketing                   The statute requires that payments be
     future COVID–19 outbreak?                               satisfy the requirements of the CARES                  used only to cover costs that were not
        Fund payments may be used only for                   Act. Expenses incurred to publicize the                accounted for in the budget most
     expenditures necessary to address the                   resumption of activities and steps taken               recently approved as of March 27, 2020.
     current COVID–19 public health                          to ensure a safe experience may be                     As stated in the Guidance, a cost meets
     emergency. For example, a State may                     needed due to the public health                        this requirement if either (a) the cost
     spend Fund payments to create a                         emergency. Expenses related to                         cannot lawfully be funded using a line
     reserve of personal protective                          developing a long-term plan to                         item, allotment, or allocation within
     equipment or develop increased                          reposition a recipient’s convention and                that budget or (b) the cost is for a
     intensive care unit capacity to support                 tourism industry and infrastructure                    substantially different use from any
     regions in its jurisdiction not yet                     would not be incurred due to the public                expected use of funds in such a line
     affected, but likely to be impacted by                                                                         item, allotment, or allocation. If the cost
                                                             health emergency and therefore may not
     the current COVID–19 pandemic.                                                                                 of an employee was allocated to
                                                             be covered using payments from the
                                                                                                                    administrative leave to a greater extent
     42. May funds be used to satisfy non-                   Fund.                                                  than was expected, the cost of such
     federal matching requirements under                     46. May a State provide assistance to                  administrative leave may be covered
     the Stafford Act?                                       farmers and meat processors to expand                  using payments from the Fund.
        Yes, payments from the Fund may be                   capacity, such to cover overtime for                   49. Are States permitted to use
     used to meet the non-federal matching                   USDA meat inspectors?                                  Coronavirus Relief Fund payments to
     requirements for Stafford Act assistance,                                                                      satisfy non-federal matching
     including FEMA’s Emergency                                 If a State determines that expanding
                                                                                                                    requirements under the Stafford Act,
     Management Performance Grant (EMPG)                     meat processing capacity, including by
                                                                                                                    including ‘‘lost wages assistance’’
     and EMPG Supplemental programs, to                      paying overtime to USDA meat                           authorized by the Presidential
     the extent such matching requirements                   inspectors, is a necessary expense                     Memorandum on Authorizing the Other
     entail COVID–19-related costs that                      incurred due to the public health                      Needs Assistance Program for Major
     otherwise satisfy the Fund’s eligibility                emergency, such as if increased capacity               Disaster Declarations Related to
     criteria and the Stafford Act. Regardless               is necessary to allow farmers and                      Coronavirus Disease 2019 (August 8,
     of the use of Fund payments for such                    processors to donate meat to food banks,               2020)?
     purposes, FEMA funding is still                         then such expenses are eligible
     dependent on FEMA’s determination of                                                                              Yes. As previous guidance has stated,
                                                             expenses, provided that the expenses
     eligibility under the Stafford Act.                                                                            payments from the Fund may be used to
                                                             satisfy the other requirements set forth
                                                                                                                    meet the non-federal matching
     43. Must a State, local, or tribal                      in section 601(d) of the Social Security               requirements for Stafford Act assistance
     government require applications to be                   Act outlined in the Guidance.                          to the extent such matching
     submitted by businesses or individuals                  47. The guidance provides that funding                 requirements entail COVID–19-related
     before providing assistance using                       may be used to meet payroll expenses                   costs that otherwise satisfy the Fund’s
     payments from the Fund?                                 for public safety, public health, health               eligibility criteria and the Stafford Act.
        Governments have discretion to                       care, human services, and similar                      States are fully permitted to use
     determine how to tailor assistance                      employees whose services are                           payments from the Fund to satisfy 100%
     programs they establish in response to                  substantially dedicated to mitigating or               of their cost share for lost wages
     the COVID–19 public health emergency.                   responding to the COVID–19 public                      assistance recently made available
     However, such a program should be                                                                              under the Stafford Act. If a State makes
                                                             health emergency. May Fund payments
     structured in such a manner as will                                                                            a payment to an individual under the
                                                             be used to cover such an employee’s
     ensure that such assistance is                                                                                 ‘‘lost wages assistance’’ program and
                                                             entire payroll cost or just the portion of
     determined to be necessary in response                                                                         later determines that such individual
                                                             time spent on mitigating or responding                 was ineligible for the program, the
     to the COVID–19 public health
                                                             to the COVID–19 public health                          ineligibility determination has the
     emergency and otherwise satisfies the
                                                             emergency?                                             following consequences:
     requirements of the CARES Act and
     other applicable law. For example, a per                   As a matter of administrative                          • The State incurs an obligation to
     capita payment to residents of a                        convenience, the entire payroll cost of                FEMA in the amount of the payment to
     particular jurisdiction without an                                                                             the ineligible individual. A State’s
                                                             an employee whose time is substantially
     assessment of individual need would                                                                            obligation to FEMA for making an
                                                             dedicated to mitigating or responding to
     not be an appropriate use of payments                                                                          improper payment to an individual
                                                             the COVID–19 public health emergency                   under the ‘‘lost wages assistance’’
     from the Fund.                                          is eligible, provided that such payroll                program is not incurred due to the
     44. May Fund payments be provided to                    costs are incurred by December 31,                     public health emergency and, therefore,
     non-profits for distribution to                         2021. An employer may also track time                  payments made pursuant to this
     individuals in need of financial                        spent by employees related to COVID–                   obligation would not be an eligible use
     assistance, such as rent relief?                        19 and apply Fund payments on that                     of the Fund.
       Yes, non-profits may be used to                       basis but would need to do so                             • The ‘‘lost wages assistance’’
     distribute assistance. Regardless of how                consistently within the relevant agency                payment to the ineligible individual
     the assistance is structured, the                       or department.                                         would be deemed to be an ineligible


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     4192                           Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices

     expense for purposes of the Fund, and                   53. May Fund recipients incur expenses                 amount of $500 per elementary and
     any amount charged to the Fund (e.g.,                   associated with the safe reopening of                  secondary school student. In addition,
     to satisfy the initial non-federal                      schools?                                               because State A is availing itself of the
     matching requirement) would be subject                     Yes, payments from the Fund may be                  $500 per elementary and secondary
     to recoupment.                                          used to cover costs associated with                    school student presumption, State A
                                                             providing distance learning (e.g., the                 also may use Fund payments to expand
     50. At what point would costs be                                                                               broadband capacity and to hire new
     considered to be incurred in the case of                cost of laptops to provide to students) or
                                                                                                                    teachers, but it may not use Fund
     a grant made by a State, local, or tribal               for in-person learning (e.g., the cost of
                                                                                                                    payments to acquire additional
     government to cover interest and                        acquiring personal protective equipment
                                                                                                                    furniture.
     principal amounts of a loan, such as                    for students attending schools in-person
     might be provided as part of a small                    or other costs associated with meeting                 54. May Fund recipients upgrade
     business assistance program in which                    Centers for Disease Control guidelines).               critical public health infrastructure,
     the loan is made by a private                              Treasury recognizes that schools are                such as providing access to running
     institution?                                            generally incurring an array of COVID–                 water for individuals and families in
                                                             19-related expenses to either provide                  rural and tribal areas to allow them to
        A grant made to cover interest and                   distance learning or to re-open. To this               maintain proper hygiene and defend
     principal costs of a loan, including                    end, as an administrative convenience,                 themselves against the virus?
     interest and principal due after the                    Treasury will presume that expenses of                   Yes, fund recipients may use
     period that begins on March 1, 2020,                    up to $500 per elementary and                          payments from the Fund to upgrade
     and ends on December 31, 2021 (the                      secondary school student are eligible                  public health infrastructure, such as
     ‘‘covered period’’), will be considered to              expenditures, such that schools do not                 providing individuals and families
     be incurred during the covered period if                need to document the specific use of                   access to running water to help reduce
     (i) the full amount of the loan is                      funds up to that amount.                               the further spread of the virus. As
     advanced to the borrower within the                        If a Fund recipient avails itself of the            required by the CARES Act, expenses
     covered period and (ii) the proceeds of                 presumption in accordance with the                     associated with such upgrades must be
     the loan are used by the borrower to                    previous paragraph with respect to a                   incurred by December 31, 2021. Please
     cover expenses incurred during the                      school, the recipient may not also cover               see Treasury’s Guidance as updated on
     covered period. In addition, if these                   the costs of additional re-opening aid to              June 30 regarding when a cost is
     conditions are met, the amount of the                   that school other than those associated                considered to be incurred for purposes
     grant will be considered to have been                   with the following, in each case for the               of the requirement that expenses be
     used during the covered period for                      purpose of addressing COVID–19:                        incurred within the covered period.
     purposes of the requirement that                           • Expanding broadband capacity;
                                                                • hiring new teachers;                              55. How does a government address the
     expenses be incurred within the covered                                                                        requirement that the allowable
     period. Such a grant would be                              • developing an online curriculum;
                                                                • acquiring computers and similar                   expenditures are not accounted for in
     analogous to a loan provided by the                                                                            the budget most recently approved as of
     Fund recipient itself that incorporates                 digital devices;
                                                                • acquiring and installing additional               March 27, 2020, once the government
     similar loan forgiveness provisions. As                                                                        enters its new budget year on July 1,
     with any other assistance provided by a                 ventilation or other air filtering
                                                             equipment;                                             2020 (for governments with June 30
     Fund recipient, such a grant would need                                                                        fiscal year ends) or October 1, 2020 (for
     to be determined by the recipient to be                    • incurring additional transportation
                                                             costs; or                                              governments with September 30 year
     necessary due to the public health                                                                             ends)?
     emergency.                                                 • incurring additional costs of
                                                             providing meals.                                          As provided in the Guidance, the
     51. If governments use Fund payments                       Across all levels of government, the                ‘‘most recently approved’’ budget refers
     as described in the Guidance to                         presumption is limited to $500 per                     to the enacted budget for the relevant
     establish a grant program to support                    student, e.g., if a school is funded by a              fiscal period for the particular
     businesses, would those funds be                        state and a local government, the                      government, without taking into
     considered gross income taxable to a                    presumption claimed by each recipient                  account subsequent supplemental
     business receiving the grant under the                  must add up to no more than $500.                      appropriations enacted or other
     Internal Revenue Code (Code)?                           Furthermore, if a Fund recipient uses                  budgetary adjustments made by that
                                                             the presumption with respect to a                      government in response to the COVID–
        Please see the answer provided by the                school, any other Fund recipients                      19 public health emergency. A cost is
     Internal Revenue Service (IRS) available                providing aid to that school may not use               not considered to have been accounted
     at https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/cares-                  the Fund to cover the costs of additional              for in a budget merely because it could
     act-coronavirus-relief-fund-frequently-                 aid to schools other than with respect to              be met using a budgetary stabilization
     asked-questions.                                        the specific costs listed above.                       fund, rainy day fund, or similar reserve
     52. If governments use Fund payments                       The following examples help                         account.
     as described in the Guidance to                         illustrate how the presumption may or                     Furthermore, the budget most recently
     establish a loan program to support                     may not be used:                                       approved as of March 27, 2020, provides
     businesses, would those funds be                           Example 1: State A may transfer Fund                the spending baseline against which
     considered gross income taxable to a                    payments to each school district in the                expenditures should be compared for
     business receiving the loan under the                   State totaling $500 per student. State A               purposes of determining whether they
     Code?                                                   does not need to document the specific                 may be covered using payments from
                                                             use of the Fund payments by the school                 the Fund. This spending baseline will
       Please see the answer provided by the                 districts within the State.                            carry forward to a subsequent budget
     IRS available at https://www.irs.gov/                      Example 2: Suppose State A from                     year if a Fund recipient enters a
     newsroom/cares-act-coronavirus-relief-                  example 1 transferred Fund payments to                 different budget year between March 27,
     fund-frequently-asked-questions.                        the school districts in the State in the               2020 and December 31, 2021. The


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                                    Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices                                              4193

     spending baseline may be carried                        19 public health emergency. In the                     recipient should not rely on self-
     forward without adjustment for                          context of acquisitions of real estate and             certifications provided to the SBA.
     inflation.                                              acquisitions of equipment, this means                     If the grant is being provided to the
                                                             that the acquisition itself must be                    small business to assist with particular
     56. Does the National Environmental
                                                             necessary. In particular, a government                 expenditures, the business must not
     Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq,
     (NEPA) apply to projects supported by                   must (i) determine that it is not able to              have already used the PPP or EIDL loan
     payments from the Fund?                                 meet the need arising from the public                  or grant for those expenditures. The
                                                             health emergency in a cost-effective                   assistance provided from the Fund
        NEPA does not apply to Treasury’s                    manner by leasing property or                          would need to satisfy all of the other
     administration of the Fund. Projects                    equipment or by improving property                     requirements set forth in section 601(d)
     supported with payments from the Fund                   already owned and (ii) maintain                        of the Social Security Act as discussed
     may still be subject to NEPA review if                  documentation to support this                          in Treasury’s guidance and FAQs, and
     they are also funded by other federal                   determination. Likewise, an                            the business would need to comply with
     financial assistance programs                           improvement, such as the installation of               all applicable requirements of the PPP
     57. Public universities have incurred                   modifications to permit social                         or EIDL program.
     expenses associated with providing                      distancing, would need to be                              Treasury’s Office of Inspector General
     refunds to students for education-                      determined to be necessary to address                  has provided the following guidance in
     related expenses, including tuition,                    the COVID–19 public health emergency.                  its FAQ no. 75 on reporting and
     room and board, meal plans, and other                     Previous guidance regarding the                      recordkeeping that would apply to the
     fees (such as activities fees). Are these               requirement that payments from the                     recipient:
     types of public university student                      Fund may only be used to cover costs                      The prime recipient is responsible for
     refunds eligible uses of Fund payments?                 that were incurred during the period                   determining the level and detail of
                                                             that begins on March 1, 2020, and ends                 documentation needed from the sub-
       If the responsible government official
                                                             on December 31, 2021 focused on the                    recipient of small business assistance to
     determines that expenses incurred to
                                                             acquisition of goods and services and                  satisfy [the requirements of section
     refund eligible higher education
                                                             leases of real property and equipment,                 601(d) of the Social Security Act],
     expenses are necessary and would be
                                                             but the same principles apply to                       however, there would need to be some
     incurred due to the public health
                                                             acquisitions and improvements of real                  proof that the small business was
     emergency, then such expenses would
                                                             property and acquisitions of equipment.                impacted by the public health
     be eligible as long as the expenses
                                                             Such acquisitions and improvements                     emergency and was thus eligible for the
     satisfy the other criteria set forth in
                                                             must be completed and the acquired or                  CRF funds.
     section 601(d) of the Social Security
                                                             improved property or acquisition of                       In the above OIG FAQ, ‘‘sub-
     Act. Eligible higher education expenses
                                                             equipment be put to use in service of                  recipient’’ refers to the beneficiary of the
     may include, in the reasonable
                                                             the COVID–19-related use for which it                  assistance, i.e., the small business.
     judgment of the responsible government
     official, refunds to students for tuition,              was acquired or improved by December                   B. Questions Related to Administration
     room and board, meal plan, and other                    30. Finally, as with all costs covered                 of Fund Payments
     fees (such as activities fees). Fund                    with payments from the Fund, such
                                                             costs must not have been previously                    1. Do governments have to return
     payments may not be used for expenses
                                                             accounted for in the budget most                       unspent funds to Treasury?
     that have been or will be reimbursed by
     another federal program (including, for                 recently approved as of March 27, 2020.                  Yes. Section 601(f)(2) of the Social
     example, the Higher Education                           59. If a small business received a Small               Security Act, as added by section
     Emergency Relief Fund administered by                   Business Administration (SBA) Payment                  5001(a) of the CARES Act, provides for
     the Department of Education).                           Protection Program (PPP) or Economic                   recoupment by the Department of the
                                                             Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) grant or loan              Treasury of amounts received from the
     58. May payments from the Fund be                                                                              Fund that have not been used in a
     used for real property acquisition and                  due to COVID–19, may the small
                                                             business also receive a grant from a unit              manner consistent with section 601(d)
     improvements and to purchase                                                                                   of the Social Security Act. If a
     equipment to address the COVID–19                       of government using payments from the
                                                             Fund?                                                  government has not used funds it has
     public health emergency?                                                                                       received to cover costs that were
        The expenses of acquiring or                            Receiving a PPP or EIDL grant or loan               incurred by December 31, 2021, as
     improving real property and of                          for COVID–19 would not necessarily                     required by the statute, those funds
     acquiring equipment (e.g., vehicles) may                make a small business ineligible to                    must be returned to the Department of
     be covered with payments from the                       receive a grant from Fund payments                     the Treasury.
     Fund in certain cases. For example,                     made to a recipient. As discussed in
     Treasury’s initial guidance referenced                  previous Treasury guidance on use of                   2. What records must be kept by
     coverage of the costs of establishing                   the Fund, a recipient’s small business                 governments receiving payment?
     temporary public medical facilities and                 assistance program should be tailored to                 A government should keep records
     other measures to increase COVID–19                     assist those businesses in need of such                sufficient to demonstrate that the
     treatment capacity, including related                   assistance. In assessing the business’                 amount of Fund payments to the
     construction costs, as an eligible use of               need for assistance, the recipient would               government has been used in
     funds. Any such use must be consistent                  need to take into account the business’                accordance with section 601(d) of the
     with the requirements of section 601(d)                 receipt of the PPP or EIDL loan or grant.              Social Security Act.
     of the Social Security Act as added by                  If the business has received a loan from
                                                             the SBA that may be forgiven, the                      3. May recipients deposit Fund
     the CARES Act.
        As with all uses of payments from the                recipient should assume for purposes of                payments into interest bearing
     Fund, the use of payments to acquire or                 determining the business’ need that the                accounts?
     improve property is limited to that                     loan will be forgiven. In determining the                Yes, provided that if recipients
     which is necessary due to the COVID–                    business’ eligibility for the grant, the               separately invest amounts received from


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     4194                           Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices

     the Fund, they must use the interest                    subrecipient monitoring and                            territory, local government, or tribal
     earned or other proceeds of these                       management, and subpart F regarding                    government that received a payment
     investments only to cover expenditures                  audit requirements.                                    directly from Treasury. However,
     incurred in accordance with section                                                                            subrecipients would not include
                                                             9. Is there a Catalog of Federal Domestic
     601(d) of the Social Security Act and the                                                                      individuals and organizations (e.g.,
                                                             Assistance (CFDA) number assigned to                   businesses, non-profits, or educational
     Guidance on eligible expenses. If a
                                                             the Fund?                                              institutions) that are beneficiaries of an
     government deposits Fund payments in
     a government’s general account, it may                     Yes. The CFDA number assigned to                    assistance program established using
     use those funds to meet immediate cash                  the Fund is 21.019.                                    payments from the Fund. The Single
     management needs provided that the                      10. If a State transfers Fund payments to              Audit Act and 2 CFR part 200, subpart
     full amount of the payment is used to                   its political subdivisions, would the                  F regarding audit requirements do not
     cover necessary expenditures. Fund                                                                             apply to beneficiaries.
                                                             transferred funds count toward the
     payments are not subject to the Cash                                                                              Please see Treasury Office of
                                                             subrecipients’ total funding received
     Management Improvement Act of 1990,                                                                            Inspector General FAQs at https://
                                                             from the federal government for                        www.treasury.gov/about/organizational-
     as amended.                                             purposes of the Single Audit Act?                      structure/ig/Audit%20Reports
     4. May governments retain assets                           Yes. The Fund payments to                           %20and%20Testimonies/OIG-CA-20-
     purchased with payments from the                        subrecipients would count toward the                   028.pdf regarding reporting in the
     Fund?                                                   threshold of the Single Audit Act and 2                GrantSolutions portal.
        Yes, if the purchase of the asset was                CFR part 200, subpart F re: audit                        Dated: January 11, 2021.
     consistent with the limitations on the                  requirements. Subrecipients are subject                Alexandra H. Gaiser,
     eligible use of funds provided by section               to a single audit or program-specific
                                                                                                                    Executive Secretary.
     601(d) of the Social Security Act.                      audit pursuant to 2 CFR 200.501(a)
                                                                                                                    [FR Doc. 2021–00827 Filed 1–14–21; 8:45 am]
                                                             when the subrecipients spend $750,000
     5. What rules apply to the proceeds of                  or more in federal awards during their                 BILLING CODE 4810–25–P
     disposition or sale of assets acquired                  fiscal year.
     using payments from the Fund?
                                                             11. Are recipients permitted to use                    DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
        If such assets are disposed of prior to
                                                             payments from the Fund to cover the                    AFFAIRS
     December 31, 2021, the proceeds would
                                                             expenses of an audit conducted under
     be subject to the restrictions on the                                                                          Joint Biomedical Laboratory Research
                                                             the Single Audit Act?
     eligible use of payments from the Fund                                                                         and Development and Clinical Science
     provided by section 601(d) of the Social                  Yes, such expenses would be eligible                 Research and Development Services
     Security Act.                                           expenditures, subject to the limitations               Scientific Merit Review Board,
                                                             set forth in 2 CFR 200.425.                            Amended Notice of Meeting
     6. Are Fund payments to State,
     territorial, local, and tribal governments              12. If a government has transferred                       The Department of Veterans Affairs
     subject to the provisions of the Uniform                funds to another entity, from which                    (VA) gives notice under Federal
     Guidance applicable to grant                            entity would the Treasury Department                   Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C.
     agreements?                                             seek to recoup the funds if they have not              App.2, that a meeting of the Joint
                                                             been used in a manner consistent with                  Biomedical Laboratory Research and
        No. Fund payments made by Treasury
                                                             section 601(d) of the Social Security                  Development and Clinical Science
     to State, territorial, local, and Tribal
                                                             Act?                                                   Research and Development Services
     governments do not entail grant
     agreements and thus the provisions of                      The Treasury Department would seek                  Scientific Merit Review Board (JBL/CS
     the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR part 200)                   to recoup the funds from the                           SMRB) will be held Thursday, January
     applicable to grant agreements do not                   government that received the payment                   21, 2021, via WebEx. The meeting will
     apply. The payments constitute ‘‘other                  directly from the Treasury Department.                 begin at 3:00 p.m. and end at 5:00 p.m.
     financial assistance’’ under 2 CFR                      State, territorial, local, and Tribal                  Eastern daylight time. The meeting will
     200.40.                                                 governments receiving funds from                       have an open session from 3:00 p.m.
                                                             Treasury should ensure that funds                      until 3:30 p.m. and a closed session
     7. Are Fund payments considered                         transferred to other entities, whether                 from 3:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
     federal financial assistance for purposes               pursuant to a grant program or                            The purpose of the open session is to
     of the Single Audit Act?                                otherwise, are used in accordance with                 meet with the JBL/CS Service Directors
        Yes, Fund payments are considered to                 section 601(d) of the Social Security Act              to discuss the overall policies and
     be federal financial assistance subject to              as implemented in the Guidance.                        process for scientific review, as well as
     the Single Audit Act (31 U.S.C. 7501–                                                                          disseminate information among the
                                                             13. What are the differences between a                 Board members regarding the VA
     7507) and the related provisions of the
                                                             subrecipient and a beneficiary under the               research priorities.
     Uniform Guidance, 2 CFR 200.303
                                                             Fund for purposes of the Single Audit                     The purpose of the closed session is
     regarding internal controls, §§ 200.330
                                                             Act and 2 CFR part 200, subpart F                      to provide recommendations on the
     through 200.332 regarding subrecipient
                                                             regarding audit requirements?                          scientific quality, budget, safety and
     monitoring and management, and
     subpart F regarding audit requirements.                   The Single Audit Act and 2 CFR part                  mission relevance of investigator-
                                                             200, subpart F regarding audit                         initiated research applications
     8. Are Fund payments subject to other                   requirements apply to any non-federal                  submitted for VA merit review
     requirements of the Uniform Guidance?                   entity, as defined in 2 CFR 200.69, that               evaluation. Applications submitted for
        Fund payments are subject to the                     receives payments from the Fund in the                 review include various medical
     following requirements in the Uniform                   amount of $750,000 or more. Non-                       specialties within the general areas of
     Guidance (2 CFR part 200): 2 CFR                        federal entities include subrecipients of              biomedical, behavioral and clinical
     200.303 regarding internal controls, 2                  payments from the Fund, including                      science research. The JBL/CS SMRB
     CFR 200.330 through 200.332 regarding                   recipients of transfers from a State,                  meeting will be closed to the public for


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