GOVERNOR’S EMERGENCY EDUCATION RELIEF FUND
PART B: PROGRAMMATIC, FISCAL, AND REPORTING ASSURANCES
The Governor or his/her authorized representative assures the following:
• Solely as authorized by Section 18002 of Division B of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Pub. L. No. 116-136 (March 27, 2020), and subject to all
other applicable laws, funds will be used for one or more of the following:
o To provide emergency support through grants to the local educational agencies
(LEAs) that the State educational agency (SEA) deems most significantly impacted
by COVID-19 to support the ability of such LEAs to continue to provide educational
services to public and non-public school students and to support the on-going
functionality of the LEA;
o To provide emergency support through grants to institutions of higher education
(IHEs) serving students within the State that the Governor determines have been
most significantly impacted by COVID-19 to support the ability of such institutions
to continue to provide educational services and support the on-going functionality of
the institution; and
o To provide support to any other IHE, LEA, or education-related entity within the
State that the Governor deems essential for carrying out emergency educational
services to students for authorized activities described in Section 18003(d)(1) of the
CARES Act or the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), the provision
of childcare and early childhood education, social and emotional support, and the
protection of education-related jobs.
• The State will comply with the maintenance of effort provision in Section 18008(a) of
Division B of the CARES Act absent waiver by the Secretary pursuant to Section 18008(b)
thereof.
• The State, and each LEA, IHE, and other education-related entity that receives GEER funds
will, to the greatest extent practicable, continue to pay its employees and contractors during
the period of any disruptions or closures related to COVID-19 in compliance with Section
18006 of Division B of the CARES Act.
• The State will submit to the Department, within 45 days of receiving GEER funds, an initial
report detailing the State’s process for awarding those funds to LEAs, IHEs, or other
education-related entities, including the criteria for determining those entities that are “most
significantly impacted by coronavirus” and/or “essential for carrying out emergency
educational services” and a description of the process and deliberations involved in
formulating those criteria.
• The State will use its best efforts to provide grant funding on an expedited basis.
• The State will comply with all reporting requirements including those in Section
15011(b)(2) of Division B of the CARES Act and submit required quarterly reports to the
Secretary, at such time and in such manner and containing such information as the Secretary
may reasonably require in the future. (See also 2 CFR 200.327-200.329). The Secretary
may require additional reporting in the future, which may include:
o Specific entities awarded GEER funds by the Governor;
o Uses of funds by the SEA, LEAs, IHEs, or other educational entities and
demonstration of their compliance with Section 18002(c), including any use of funds
was applied to support addressing digital divide and related issues in distance
learning;
4