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SF0098 • 2022

Federal emergency COVID-19 relief funding-limitations.

AN ACT relating to the emergency expenses of government; limiting expenditure of COVID-19 relief funds; amending a sunset date for emergency programs; providing an appropriation; specifying applicability; specifying conflict of law provisions; and providing for an effective date.

Budget
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Appropriations
Last action
2022-03-15
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
3/15/2022

Plain English Breakdown

The allocation of remaining ARP capital project funds and the effectiveness of new appropriations are contingent on Senate File 66 not being enacted.

Limiting Use of Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds

This law sets rules for how federal funds from CARES and ARP can be used by the governor's office, limits when these funds expire, and provides new funding to respond to the pandemic.

What This Bill Does

  • Limits the use of federal COVID-19 relief funds after March 26, 2022.
  • Appropriates $50 million from unspent ARP funds for responding to the public health emergency caused by the virus.
  • Allocates any remaining ARP capital project funds not used during the legislative session to the governor's office until December 31, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Office of the Governor
  • State agencies receiving federal relief funds

Terms To Know

CARES Act
A law that provides financial assistance to individuals and businesses affected by the pandemic.
ARP
American Rescue Plan, a federal act providing additional relief funds for states during the pandemic.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Details about how remaining ARP capital project funds will be used are subject to future legislation or federal guidance.
  • The effectiveness of new appropriations is contingent on another bill (Senate File 66) not being enacted.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SF0098H3001

3rd reading • Representative Walters

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to the bill that appropriates American Rescue Plan Act capital project funds received by Wyoming after March 27, 2022, for specific purposes until December 31, 2026.

  • Adds language allowing state government to use unspent American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) capital project funds for new purposes if future federal laws expand the allowable uses of these funds.
  • Specifies that any ARPA capital project funds not already allocated in the 2021 legislative session will be given to the governor's office from March 27, 2022, until December 31, 2026.
  • Defines 'American Rescue Plan Act capital project funds' as unspent and uncommitted ARPA funds that were allocated to Wyoming in 2021.
  • The amendment does not specify what new purposes the federal government might allow for these funds, which could change over time.
  • It is unclear how this will affect existing state budget allocations and spending plans.
SF0098H3002

3rd reading • Representative Walters

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds conditions to the use of COVID-19 relief funds and specifies which law takes precedence if there is a conflict with another specific bill.

  • Adds a condition that the appropriation for emergency expenses will not be effective if another bill, 2022 Senate File 0066, becomes law.
  • Specifies that this act's provisions will control over any conflicting provisions of 2022 Senate File 0066 if both become law.
  • Changes the section number from 'Section 4' to 'Section 5'.
  • The exact impact and details of 2022 Senate File 0066 are not provided, so its full effect on this amendment is unclear.
SF0098VT001

Veto Override

S Adopted, H Adopted

Plain English: This amendment overrides the governor's veto of a bill related to federal emergency COVID-19 relief funding and its limitations.

  • Overrides the governor's decision to reject Senate Enrolled Act No. 18, which was originally Senate File 98.
  • The amendment text does not provide details about the specific changes made in Senate Enrolled Act No. 18 or what those changes entail regarding federal emergency COVID-19 relief funding.

Bill History

  1. 2022-03-15 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 60

  2. 2022-03-11 Governor

    Governor Vetoed SEA No. 0018

  3. 2022-03-07 House

    H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0018

  4. 2022-03-07 Senate

    S President Signed SEA No. 0018

  5. 2022-03-07 LSO

    Assigned Number SEA No. 0018

  6. 2022-03-07 Senate

    S Concur:Passed 26-0-4-0-0

  7. 2022-03-07 Senate

    S Received for Concurrence

  8. 2022-03-07 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 45-13-2-0-0

  9. 2022-03-04 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  10. 2022-03-03 House

    H COW:Passed

  11. 2022-02-25 House

    H Placed on General File

  12. 2022-02-25 House

    H02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 7-0-0-0-0

  13. 2022-02-23 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H02 - Appropriations

  14. 2022-02-21 House

    H Received for Introduction

  15. 2022-02-21 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 30-0-0-0-0

  16. 2022-02-18 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  17. 2022-02-17 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  18. 2022-02-17 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  19. 2022-02-17 Senate

    S02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  20. 2022-02-16 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S02 - Appropriations 30-0-0-0-0

  21. 2022-02-15 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  22. 2022-02-15 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 22LSO-0295
Bill No.:

SF0098

Effective:

Immediately

LSO No.:

22LSO-0295

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0018

Chapter No.:

60

Prime Sponsor:

Joint Appropriations Committee

Catch Title:

Federal emergency COVID-19 relief funding-limitations.

Subject:

Appropriations of CARES and ARP funds.

Summary/Major Elements:

In the 2020 Special Session and the 2021 General Session, the Legislature appropriated the State's discretionary Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funds to the Office of the Governor for specified categories of expenditures, subject to further legislative review and appropriation.

This act:

Provides that the prior appropriations of the CARES funds and ARP funds to the Office of the Governor and the authority for any emergency programs created to expend those funds will lapse on March 26, 2022.

Appropriates fifty million dollars ($50,000,000.00) to the Office of the Governor to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency. This appropriation is not effective if 2022 Senate File 66 is enacted into law, which contains a similar appropriation.
Appropriates any ARP funds categorized as capital project funds that the state applies for and receives, and which are not otherwise appropriated during the 2022 session, to the Office of the Governor.
Specifies that this act shall control if any provisions of the act conflict with 2022 Senate File 66, as enacted into law.

Comments:

The Governor vetoed this act, and the Legislature overrode the veto.
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
22LSO-0295

ORIGINAL Senate

ENGROSSED
File No
.
SF0098

ENROLLED ACT NO. 18,

SENATE

SIXTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2022 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to the emergency expenses of government; limiting expenditure of COVID-19 relief funds; amending a sunset date for emergency programs; providing an appropriation; specifying applicability; specifying conflict of law provisions; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

2021 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 166, Section 4(a)(vi), Section 5(a) and (b)(intro), Section 6(d) and Section 7 is amended to read:

Section 4.

(a)

The legislature finds that:

(vi)

In the event that for whatever reason, the legislature does not enact further legislation to appropriate federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act or the CARES Act
by
for the period beginning
September 1, 2021
and ending March 26, 2022
, the governor is authorized by the terms of this act to implement programs as specified to expend these funds.

Section 5.

(a)

To carry out the expenditure of federal funds authorized by subsection (b) of this section
through March 26, 2022
, the governor is authorized to establish by order or rule any
emergency program that is consistent with the terms of this act and the federal gift, grant or appropriation if the program can be fully supported by federal funds appropriated under this act or other existing appropriations and does not obligate the state to any expenditure of state funds not previously appropriated by the legislature.

Any emergency program created under the authority granted in this subsection shall expire on
December 31, 2024
March 26, 2022
unless expressly continued by act of the legislature.

(b)

Subject to the limitations provided in subsections (c) through (e) of this section, any federal funds provided to the state for COVID
‑
19 related purposes including from the American Rescue Plan Act, P.L. 117
‑
2, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, P.L. 116
‑
136, or other similarly purposed federal act, that do not accrue to any agency under W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1006(a) and which are not appropriated within sections 4(a) through (c) of this act are appropriated to the office of the governor for the emergency expenses of government that are consistent with the terms of the federal gift, grant or appropriation and subject to the provisions of this subsection.

This appropriation shall lapse on March 26, 2022.

In accordance with W.S. 9
‑
4
‑
205(a), this appropriation of federal funds shall be subject to further legislative review and appropriation. This appropriation shall only be expended for the following purposes:

Section 6.

(d)

To the extent not appropriated in subsections (a) through (c) of this section, t
here is appropriated all unexpended, unencumbered and unobligated funds received by the state of Wyoming to the state auditor from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117
‑
2
, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act,
P.L.
116
‑
136 or other similarly purposed federal act, including funds originally
appropriated in 2020 Wyoming Special Session Laws, Chapter 1, Section 2(b), Chapter 2, Section 4(d) and Chapter 3, Sections 2(h), 3(h) and 4(g).
Through March 26, 2022, t
he governor may transfer funds reappropriated under this section to the state agency or entity designated to approve the project, grant or procurements as provided in section 5 of this act. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any purpose except as provided in this subsection. Any unobligated, unexpended funds remaining from this appropriation upon the expiration of the later of the relevant federal law, related federal legislation, reallocation by the secretary of the United States department of treasury, or any extension granted by the United States department of treasury shall be deposited to the general fund unless otherwise provided by federal law.

Section 7.

Except as provided in this section, t
he governor at all times retains the authority to expend the federal funds in accordance with W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1005(b)(ii) and (g), 9
‑
2
‑
1006(a) and 9
‑
4
‑
206.

After March 26, 2022, amounts authorized for expenditure by legislative appropriation of federal funds provided to the state from the American Rescue Plan Act, P.L. 117
‑
2, shall not be revised, changed, redistributed or increased by the governor except pursuant to legislative enactment.

Section 2.

(a)

On March 27, 2022, there is appropriated from any unexpended, unobligated American Rescue Plan Act funds fifty million dollars ($50,000,000.00) to the office of the governor for purposes of responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency and that are consistent with the terms of the American Rescue Plan Act or any subsequent federal legislation that is enacted which expands the allowable purposes of American Rescue Plan Act funds.

(b)

Expenditures under this section shall be reported to the legislature through the B-11 process as authorized by W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1005(b)(ii) and reported pursuant to W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1013(b).

(c)

As used in this section, "American Rescue Plan Act funds" means funds appropriated or disbursed to the state of Wyoming under title VI of the federal Social Security Act, as created by section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2.

(d)

The appropriation in subsection (a) of this section shall not be effective if 2022 Senate File 0066 is enacted into law.

Section 3.

(a)

Beginning March 27, 2022 and ending December 31, 2026, any American Rescue Plan Act capital project funds that the state applies for and receives, and which are not otherwise appropriated in the 2022 legislative budget session, are appropriated to the office of the governor for purposes that are consistent with the terms of the American Rescue Plan Act or any subsequent federal legislation that is enacted which expands the allowable purposes of American Rescue Plan Act capital project funds.

(b)

As used in this section, "American Rescue Plan Act capital project funds" means any unexpended, unobligated funds allocated to the state of Wyoming from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2, Section 604 and that were appropriated in 2021 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 166, Section 5(b), as amended by this act.

Section 4.

Nothing in this act shall modify or impair any existing contract or obligation of the state that is executed or incurred on or before March 26, 2022.

Section 5.

To the extent any provision of this act conflicts with any provision of 2022 Senate File 0066, as enacted into law, the provisions of this act shall control.

Section 6.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

1