Coronavirus Relief Fund

Overview

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress and signed into law. This act established the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) and appropriated $150 billion to the Fund to provide payments to states and certain local governments; the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories and Tribal governments navigating the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Nevada’s Share of the CRF

The Department of Treasury appropriated a total of $1.25 billion to Nevada from the CRF. A portion of the State’s total allotment was reserved for local governments that have a population in excess of 500,000. As a result, approximately $295 million was allocated to Clark County and an additional $118.9 million was allocated to the City of Las Vegas. The State of Nevada received $836 million from the Fund of which a certain amount may be paid to local governments.

Allowable Uses of the CRF

The CARES Act requires that the payments from the Coronavirus Relief Fund only be used to cover expenses that—

(1) are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19);
(2) were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020 (the date of enactment of the CARES Act) for the State or government; and
(3) were incurred during the period that begins on March 1, 2020 and ends on December 30, 2020

Guidance on eligible uses of Fund disbursements is on the Department of Treasury website https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/cares/state-and-local-governments and must be strictly adhered. The following documents provide specific guidance:

• Coronavirus Relief Fund Guidance for State, Territorial, Local, and Tribal Governments (06/30/2020)
• Coronavirus Relief Fund Frequently Asked Questions (07/08/2020)

Request Payment from the CRF – Local Governments

Nevada counties and certain designated cities that that have a population of less than 500,000 (those listed on the document "Breakdown of CARES Act funding distributed to local governments to assist with COVID-19 expenses") can request a CRF allocation from the State of Nevada Governor’s Finance Office (GFO). Submittal packets were sent out on July 11, 2020. If you are an eligible local government and you have not received your packet, you may email the office at covid19@finance.nv.gov to provide point-of-contact information. Items are also listed below for reference: 

• Notification letter and instructions (CRF Cover Letter) - SAMPLE
• Nevada CRF Allocation Amounts for Local Governments
• Coronavirus Relief Fund Eligibility Certification letter – SAMPLE
• Coronavirus Relief Fund Terms and Conditions for Local Governments
• CRF Activity Reporting Worksheet (Excel)  - Updated 8/19/20

Local governments were recently provided updates on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), changes to reporting requirements, and instructions on how to request the second allocation of CRF. Please see the documents below for reference:

•  Coronavirus Relief Fund State of Nevada FAQs 7-27-20 

•  Nevada Local Government’s Second CRF Allocation and Reporting Requirements

Request Payment from the CRF - State Agencies

Nevada State agencies can request a “lump-sum” CRF reimbursement from the Governor's Finance Office for all eligible costs incurred in FY20. Follow the steps below to submit reimbursement claims to the GFO by Monday, July 2, 2020.

Step 1: Read the CRF Reimbursement Guidance

The CRF Reimbursement Guidance for Nevada State Agencies document provides information on the funding available through the CRF. It includes details on the Fund’s intended use, ineligible costs, eligible costs for non-payroll-related claims and eligible cost for payroll-related claims (including COVID-19 Administrative Leave). It also contains details regarding the use of CRF for FEMA cost share requirements, and it provides direct links to the Department of Treasury Guidance. It is an essential tool for identifying FY20 cost reimbursements as well as for FY21 planning.

• CRF Reimbursement Guidance for Nevada State Agencies (08/24/2020)

Step 2: Read the FY20 CRF Instructions for State Agencies

This document provides instructions to State agencies on how to identify expenditures that might qualify for reimbursement from the CRF, and how to submit FY20 claims to the GFO. 

• CRF FY2020 Instructions for State Agencies (06/19/2020)

Step 3: Fill out the FY20 CRF State Agency Worksheet

Agencies must complete the FY20 CRF State Agency Worksheet and submit it to GFO by Thursday, July 2, 2020. It will be reviewed for Pre-Approval through approximately mid-July. Agency fiscal staff should be readily available during this time to answer any questions about submitted expenditures or provide additional required information or justifications. 

• FY20 CRF Agency Worksheet (06/19/2020)
• FY21 CRF Agency Worksheet (08/30/2020)

Questions or Comments

Inquiries or comments regarding the process for Nevada local governments to request payments from the Coronavirus Relief Fund can be directed to covid19@finance.nv.gov.