Administration, FEMA Extend 100% Federal Share for Public Assistance
If you’re doing something beneficial, conventional wisdom says to keep doing it. Therefore, we were pleased to see that the Biden administration last week extended the 100% federal cost share for Public Assistance funds issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through July 1.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Public Assistance statues state that the federal government was to provide a cost share of no less than 75% in federal funds, whereby recipients would be required to provide a matching share of no more than 25 percent from nonfederal sources. Last August, the administration issued a memorandum requiring FEMA to pay 100% of the cost share for COVID-19 emergency work between Jan. 20, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2021. It later extended this timeframe to April 1, 2022, through a second memorandum.
The administration has now issued a third memorandum extending the 100% federal cost share through July 1. Those costs may include the safe opening and operating of eligible facilities, including schools, and to continue COVID-19 related medical care, vaccination and testing efforts. FEMA will also continue to provide 100% of the federal funding for National Guard activities to combat and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Upon the issuance of the memorandum, FEMA issued a notice stating that following that date, the federal cost share will shift to 90%, rather than the statutory minimum of 75% federal share costs.
The extension was praised by the National Governors Association (NGA), which first urged the federal government in April 2020 to provide 100% reimbursement. “We applaud the president for extending his commitment to reimburse states, tribes and territories for costs incurred in response to COVID-19, including the most recent spikes due to the Omicron variant,” NGA explained. “This funding is critical to protect and support families, schools and businesses.”
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