American Rescue Plan Act Overview

On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into federal law. Included in this $1.9 trillion stimulus bill was the $350 billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSLFRF) to assist state, local, and tribal governments with pandemic recovery efforts.

The purpose of this webpage is to provide the public with updates on San Bernardino County CSLFRF activities, including planned uses for these funds and periodic reporting.

Effective as of December 31, 2024, San Bernardino County fully allocated and obligated the total CSLFRF funding of $423.5 million received from the United States Department of the Treasury to support various projects that promote equitable outcomes aligned with the overarching goal of rebuilding stronger communities.

Reports

Read San Bernardino County reports that have been submitted to the U.S. Department of Treasury:

Recovery Plan Performance Report

Annual Report:

Project & Expenditure Report

Quarterly Report:
NAcO Awards Banner

2023 NACo Award Achievement

CATEGORY: County Administration and Management

YEAR: 2023

San Bernardino County, California (County) established an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Administrative Team (Team) for the purpose of administering the County’s $423.5 million federal ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSLFRF) allocation. The ARPA Team consists of staff from multiple disciplines that include finance, data analysis, and communications, thereby providing a holistic approach to the County’s Coronavirus pandemic recovery efforts. The ARPA Team is assigned the County Administrative Office and reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for the County. The ARPA Team is tasked with identifying CSLFRF investment opportunities, project tracking, budget management, and ensuring compliance with United States Department of Treasury (U.S. Treasury) guidance and reporting requirements. These responsibilities resulted in the development of several practices and procedures that weren’t previously employed by the County. Currently, the ARPA Team is responsible for overseeing a project portfolio in excess of $340 million, a figure that will increase to the full allocation amount in the coming months as additional ARPA-eligible projects are identified and scoped. To date, the County has not been subject to any significant audit findings.

2023 NACo Achievement Awards Certificate

Frequently Asked Questions

ARPA

San Bernardino County is required to submit quarterly reports and an annual Recovery Plan Performance Report to the U.S. Department of Treasury. These reports will be posted in the “Reports” section above as they become available.

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved a Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Spending Plan that allocates ARPA funding into three distinct categories over the course of the next four years.

View the chart with outlined categories

ARPA funds must be obligated by December 31, 2024. Any projects and/or initiatives that utilize ARPA funds must be completed by December 31, 2026.

San Bernardino County received a total of $423.5 million.

Program FAQs

Applicants will receive a confirmation email at the address they provide on the form indicating their application was successfully submitted.

ATC does not have information regarding the status of applications. Unless you’ve been contacted by the County and notified that your application lacked sufficient documentation, your application will be processed in the order in which it was received, and you will receive notification if it was approved or denied.

Applications are processed in the order in which they are received. The County will make every attempt possible to process your application and send payment within 30-60 days of submission. Please make sure to monitor your email account in the event additional documentation is requested. Failure to provide required documentation or accurate information in the application may prolong processing times or prevent payment processing altogether.

Approved application payments shall be received within 30-60 days of successful submission of the online application. However, if incorrect information or insufficient documentation is submitted, the processing time could take longer or prevent payment processing altogether.

Paper applications are available upon request, but they will increase the normal processing time because they won’t be entered into the processing queue until the county receives the application. You may request a paper application by sending an email to ARPAadminteam@cao.sbcounty.gov.

If an applicant doesn’t receive a confirmation email after multiple submissions, please email ARPAadminteam@cao.sbcounty.gov to request assistance.

The County doesn’t operate in-person locations to complete this application.

If an individual owns two or more businesses that meet the eligibility requirements, an application may be submitted for each business. However, if an eligible business has more than one physical location, only one application may be submitted.

Independently owned and operated franchises are eligible provided they meet all of the eligibility requirements.

Short-term rental/vacation rental businesses are eligible if they utilize a separate brick and mortar office location that isn’t a short-term rental property.

No. The program is designed to assist business owners who have a brick and mortar business like an office or retail store.

Because cannabis cultivation and retail are illegal in unincorporated San Bernardino County, cannabis-related businesses are ineligible for this program. Moreover, the use of federal funding for this program prohibits grant awards for cannabis-related activities.

With the exception of licensed childcare facilities, home-based businesses are ineligible.

Public agencies, including special districts and school districts, are ineligible.

Private schools are eligible provided they meet eligibility criteria.

The Board of Supervisors approved the use of $1 million for this program. The application period will remain open until funding is exhausted.

Treasury and Federal Resources

County departments, special districts, and their subrecipients are responsible for reviewing, understanding, and staying up to date on all federal guidance and requirements which apply to their ARPA subawards. The U.S. Treasury Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) website (Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds | U.S. Department of the Treasury contains several helpful documents, including the following:

This guidance provides additional detail and clarification for each recipient’s compliance and reporting responsibilities under the ARPA CSLFRF program, and should be read in concert with the Award Terms and Conditions, the authorizing statute, the ARPA CSLFRF implementing regulation, and other regulatory and statutory requirements, including regulatory requirements under the Uniform Guidance (2 CRF Part 200). Please see the Assistance Listing in SAM.gov under assistance listing number (formerly known as CFDA number), 21.027 for more information.

This document contains answers to frequently asked questions regarding the ARPA CSLFRF. Treasury will be updating this document periodically in response to questions received from stakeholders.

eCFR :: 2 CFR Part 200 — Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards

This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRP0154 awarded to San Bernardino County by the United States Department of Treasury.