U.S. Treasury Department releases updated CRF guidance containing modifications that counties requested
MAC is pleased to share important news regarding use of federal COVID aid that had worried many of our members in recent days.
On Sept. 21, the National Association of Counties reported, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) released an
updated FAQ document that contains positive modifications to the reporting requirements for the
Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF).
In a win for counties, OIG’s updated guidance addresses
concerns made by the bipartisan organizations representing state and local governments, including NACo, regarding additional reporting and record retention requirements for counties using CRF payments. Specifically, counties voiced concerns over the new requirements associated with reporting and tracking payroll expenses for public safety, public health and human services employees who are "substantially dedicated" to addressing and mitigating the impacts of COVID-19.
The requirements outlined in
OIG’s original Aug. 28 guidance were more extensive than what was required under the
U.S. Treasury’s guidance released on August 10, which focused on flexibility for local governments in order to ease administrative burdens. Counties expressed concern that these late additions to CRF reporting requirements may prevent counties from receiving reimbursements for payroll expenses incurred during the pandemic, severely impacting budget forecasts.
MAC and NACo applaud the U.S. Treasury for modifying the OIG reporting requirements, which will help counties with payroll expenses for public safety, public health and human services employees addressing the impacts of COVID-19.
