The American Rescue Plan of 2021: How to Get Funding
According to the latest information released by the Treasury (including FAQs), public record software is an eligible investment of The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds.
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Featured
The American Rescue Plan Act (and its Impact on Public Records) Explained
What is ARPA?
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) provides a substantial infusion of resources to eligible state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to help turn the tide on the pandemic; address its economic fallout; and lay the foundation for a strong and equitable recovery.
State, local, territorial, and tribal governments are facing unprecedented strain in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis; and the Federal Government is working around the clock on the necessary steps to get this funding into your hands.
How does my organization get money?
See updated ARPA guidelines here.
Read More | GovQA
Litigation
‘When in doubt, disclose.’ Public has right to know who dies in South Carolina prisons, Attorney General rules
Deaths that happen in South Carolina prisons can’t be kept secret and the names of the deceased and cause of death can be made public, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office said in an opinion Friday [May 14].
“This office strongly supports transparency and disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act,” the 11-page opinion said in a ringing statement supporting the principle of government openness.
“Indeed, we have consistently advised for decades: When in doubt, disclose,” the opinion said.
Read More | Herald Sun
Legislation
Across the country, police misconduct records are kept secret and are difficult to access
Police misconduct records are either secret or difficult to access in a majority of states – 35 of them plus Washington, D.C. But the breeze of openness is blowing. Seven big states have opened records in recent years – California, New York, Illinois, Colorado, Massachusetts, Oregon and Maryland.
Now 15 states have laws that allow these records to be mostly available to the public – up from 12 a few years ago.
New York, Massachusetts, Colorado, Oregon and Maryland enacted laws in the past year opening records that were previously closed. California passed a law opening some records in 2018.
However, there are still barriers to accountability, even in some of the states that have begun to open up.
Read More | ABC News
The Peers in Public Records Newsletter (formerly FOIA News) is a bi-monthly e-newsletter brought to you by GovQA. It is a collection of the latest trends in public record requests and government transparency initiatives, shared stories, informative case studies, and actionable knowledge that will help you calm the chaos and keep your organization compliant. Send your comments to peers@govqa.com.
