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TACIR Clearinghouse for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Federal ARRA logo

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). According to the text, the Act’s purposes are to preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery, to assist those most impacted by the recession, to increase economic efficiency through technological advances in science and in health, and to stabilize state and local government budgets and thereby avoiding reductions in essential services and counterproductive state and local tax increases. The ARRA employs a combination of measures to prompt economic recovery, including tax provisions for individuals, families, and businesses, monetary allocations to state and local governments, and the extension of certain federal programs.  Below are some of the specific areas included in the Act:

  • Assistance for families and unemployed workers
  • Health insurance assistance
  • Health information technology
  • Trade provisions
  • Infrastructure improvements
  • Transportation
  • Public housing
  • Environmental clean-up/clean water
  • Science
  • Education and training
  • Help for vulnerable workers and families
  • State and local law enforcement

The total cost of the ARRA is $787 billion. An estimated $224.8 billion will be allocated to state and local governments. The latest Tennessee estimate is $4.5 billion, calculated by the Tennessee Department of Finance & Administration. Note that this is a preliminary figure and is subject to change. Governor Phil Bredesen has announced the appointment of a Special Assistant to the Governor for Recovery Act Administration. Mike Morrow will monitor the ARRA's implementation in Tennessee to ensure efficiency and accountability.

Many organizations are tracking developments related to the ARRA. Below is a list of links to these information sources, with a brief description of the contents of each site. TACIR will be updating this information as new details are released.

TACIR Sources of Information on the ARRA of 2009

Tennessee Sources of Information on the ARRA of 2009

  • The State of Tennessee has established an ARRA web page, which also includes links to Tennessee agency recovery pages.
    tnrecovery.gov
    Additionally, tnrecovery.gov outlines allocations by program area and provides an explanation of the purpose of the funds.
    Allocation Summary

Other Sources of Information on the ARRA of 2009

  • The Office of the President has set up a website to ensure accountability and transparency. The website will allow users to track ARRA funds and follow the implementation of the Act. This website is frequently updated and users are encouraged to check it regularly. Recovery.gov

    Additionally, Recovery.gov provides a comprehensive list of federal agencies affected by the ARRA, as well as links to each agency’s Recovery Act web page.
    Agency List
  • The U.S. Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees have compiled a document that thoroughly summarizes key provisions of the ARRA.
    Summary of Key Provisions
  • The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has released a document providing guidance for governments in carrying out the ARRA.
    Initial Implementing Guidance for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
  • The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities website provides state-by-state estimates of key provisions, as well as detailed information about allocation provisions of formula grants and stipulations on the spending of funds.
    Economic Recovery Watch
  • Federal Funds Information for States (FFIS) has prepared a summary of programs funded under ARRA, including competitive grant programs and programs that will flow through to local governments and FFIS has estimated total state-by-state allocations for 42 programs funded under the ARRA.
    Federal Funds Information for States
  • National Conference of State Legislatures tracks recent developments and provides a wide variety of information on the stimulus bill. Here one can find links to the bill text, summaries of broad and topic specific provisions, and a link to the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate of the budgetary impacts of ARRA.
    Economic Recovery Overview
  • The Council of State Governments has set up a website which provides a guide on ARRA implementation for state and local governments, state-by-state analysis, regional analysis, and links to other data sources.
    staterecovery.org

Updated March 27, 2009