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16 <br /> Coronavirus Relief Fund <br /> Frequently Asked Questions <br /> Updated as of May 4,2020 <br /> The following answers to frequently asked questions supplement Treasury's Coronavirus Relief Fund <br /> ("Fund")Guidance for State,Territorial,Local,and Tribal Governments, dated April 22, 2020, <br /> ("Guidance").' Amounts paid from the Fund are subject to the restrictions outlined in the Guidance and <br /> set forth in section 601(d)of the Social Security Act, as added by section 5001 of the Coronavirus Aid, <br /> Relief, and Economic Security Act("CARES Act"). <br /> Eligible Expenditures <br /> Are governments required to submit proposed expenditures to Treasury for approval? <br /> No. Governments are responsible for making determinations as to what expenditures are necessary due to <br /> the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19 and do not need to submit any proposed <br /> expenditures to Treasury. <br /> The Guidance says that funding can be used to meet payroll expenses for public safety,public health, <br /> health care, human services, and similar employees whose services are substantially dedicated to <br /> mitigating or responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency. How does a government <br /> determine whether payroll expenses for a given employee satisfy the "substantially dedicated" <br /> condition? <br /> The Fund is designed to provide ready funding to address unforeseen financial needs and risks created by <br /> the COVID-19 public health emergency. For this reason, and as a matter of administrative convenience <br /> in light of the emergency nature of this program, a State,territorial,local,or Tribal government may <br /> presume that payroll costs for public health and public safety employees are payments for services <br /> substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency,unless the <br /> chief executive (or equivalent) of the relevant government determines that specific circumstances indicate <br /> otherwise. <br /> The Guidance says that a cost was not accounted for in the most recently approved budget if the cost is <br /> for a substantially different use from any expected use of funds in such a line item, allotment, or <br /> allocation. What would qualify as a "substantially different use"for purposes of the Fund eligibility? <br /> Costs incurred for a"substantially different use"include,but are not necessarily limited to, costs of <br /> personnel and services that were budgeted for in the most recently approved budget but which, due <br /> entirely to the COVID-19 public health emergency,have been diverted to substantially different <br /> functions. This would include, for example,the costs of redeploying corrections facility staff to enable <br /> compliance with COVID-19 public health precautions through work such as enhanced sanitation or <br /> enforcing social distancing measures;the costs of redeploying police to support management and <br /> enforcement of stay-at-home orders; or the costs of diverting educational support staff or faculty to <br /> develop online learning capabilities, such as through providing information technology support that is not <br /> part of the staff or faculty's ordinary responsibilities. <br /> Note that a public function does not become a"substantially different use"merely because it is provided <br /> from a different location or through a different manner. For example, although developing online <br /> ' The Guidance is available at https://home.treasM.gov/system/files/136/Coronavirus-Relief-Fund-Guidance-for- <br /> State-Territorial-Local-and-Tribal-Governments.pdf. <br /> 1 <br />