WHEREAS: The U.S. Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (“IIJA”);
WHEREAS: Through its authority provided by ARPA and IIJA, the federal government established multiple federal assistance programs that provided vast sums of financial aid to states and localities in order to ease the economic burdens caused by the coronavirus pandemic;
WHEREAS: Arkansas received dedicated federal funding from ARPA and IIJA, some of which was disbursed through the advice and direction of the steering committees established by previous executive orders;
WHEREAS: Executive Order No. 21-08 established the ARPA Steering Committee;
WHEREAS: Executive Order No. 21-19 established the Governor’s Infrastructure Planning Advisory Committee;
WHEREAS: The previous administration did not disburse the full amount of allocated federal funds provided to Arkansas, which in turn allows this administration the opportunity to determine the most efficient and effective manner to disburse these funds in accordance with federal and state law;
WHEREAS: Due to her fiduciary responsibility to the people of Arkansas, it is necessary for the Governor and her administration to completely review the outstanding federal funds dedicated to Arkansas through ARPA and IIJA; and
WHEREAS: It is the policy of this Governor and her administration in consultation with the General Assembly to make recommendations on how to distribute Arkansas’ ARPA and IIJA federal funding and to ensure that the distributions are made within the boundaries of federal and state law.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, acting under the authority vested in me as the Governor of the State of Arkansas, do hereby order the following:
- That Executive Order No 21-08 is hereby repealed.
- That Executive Order No 21-19 is hereby repealed.
- That Arkansas’ dedicated federal funding through ARPA and IIJA as set forth in Executive Order No. 21-08 and Executive Order No. 21-19 shall not be distributed to any entity without further action by this administration and in accordance with Arkansas law.
- That the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration shall not consider any applications, which were submitted for APRA or IIJA federal funding prior to or after the effective date of this Order, without further action by this administration and in accordance with Arkansas law.
This Executive Order shall become effective upon its signing and shall remain in full force and effect until amended or rescinded by further executive orders.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and cause the Great Seal of the State of Arkansas to be affixed this 24th day of January, in the year of our Lord 2023.
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