On April 15, the U.S. Department of the Treasury released new guidance on pre-award requirements, outlining immediate steps counties need to take to receive future direct payments from the U.S. Department of the Treasury under the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Funds authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act. By following these guidelines, counties will be better positioned to receive payments quickly and efficiently.

Submission instructions for the Recovery Fund have not yet been released, but it is expected the U.S. Department of the Treasury will announce this information in the coming day. The National Association of Counties (NACo) recommends, though, that as a part of this preparation process, your executive or authorized officer is prepared to certify the submission. As soon as possible, county governments should complete the steps below:

  1. Ensure they have a valid DUNS number. A DUNS number is a unique nine-character number used to identify an organization and is issued by Dun & Bradstreet. The federal government uses the DUNS number to track how federal money is allocated. A DUNS number is required prior to registering with the SAM database, which is outlined below. Registering for a DUNS number is free of charge. If your county does not have a valid DUNS number, please click here or call 1-866-705-5711 to register.
  2. Ensure they have an active SAM registration. SAM is the official government-wide database to register with in order to do business with the U.S. government. All federal financial assistance recipients must register on SAM.gov and renew their SAM registration annually to maintain an active status to be eligible to receive federal financial assistance. There is no charge to register or maintain your entity SAM registration. If your county does not have an active SAM registration, please visit SAM.gov for registration or renewal. SAM registration can take up to three weeks; delay in registering could impact timely payment of funds.
  3. Gather payment information, including
    • ​​​Entity Identification Number (EIN), name and contact information
    • Name and title of an authorized representative of the county
    • Financial institution information (e.g., routing and account number, financial institution name, and contact information)

NACo is closely monitoring any developments related to Treasury guidance and will provide updates on any developments.

View NACo’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Resource Hub for additional information and resources.

Contributed by: Erin Hurley | Associate Legislative Director –  Finance, Pensions, and Intergovernmental Affairs, NACo