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04/04/25 - The Northern Marianas has obligated 100% of its State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under the American Rescue Plan Act allocation as of Dec. 31, 2024, according to CNMI Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds.
In a letter dated April 1, 2025 to her brother Sen. Karl R. King-Nabors, the first-term congresswoman told the Senate vice president that, in response to his request, her office contacted the U.S. Department of the Treasury to obtain the most up-to-date information on SLFRF obligations and expenditures for the Northern Marianas.
The Treasury wrote back to her office and noted that the CNMI received a total allocation of $481,876,521.00 in SLFRF funds.
And of that total, $443,781,780.77 was expended as of the most recent report (as of Sept. 30, 2024) and as of Dec. 31, 2024, the Treasury informed her that the CNMI obligated 100% of its SLFRF allocation.
She added that the deadline to expend SLFRF funds is Dec. 31, 2026, except for funds under the Surface Transportation and Title I categories, which must be expended by Sept. 30, 2026.
Drawing on data provided by the Treasury, King-Hinds stated that below is a breakdown of reported cumulative obligations for Tier 1 recipients (which includes states and U.S. territories) across available quarterly reports:
“This table reflects data for Tier 1 recipients only. It does not include obligations made by Tier 2 recipients, which include SLFRF funds allocated directly to the CNMI's municipalities under the ‘metropolitan cities and counties’ category. The obligation and allocation data provided above reflect information received directly from the U.S. Department of the Treasury in response to my inquiry,” she continued in her letter to King-Nabors.
According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, she added that "obligated" funds refer to those that have been legally committed to specific projects, contracts, or purposes, while "expended" funds reflect the actual disbursement of funds-when payment has been made to fulfill those obligations.
“Treasury also clarified that SLFRF Project and Expenditure Reports are cumulative and reflect all obligations reported through each respective reporting period. While the detailed Q4 2024 report has not yet been published, Treasury confirmed that the CNMI reported full obligation of the remaining $44.5 million in funds by Dec. 31, 2024. This information is based on official correspondence with the U.S. Department of the Treasury. When additional information becomes available on the obligations made in Q4 2024, I will provide you and the committee with an update.”
King-Hinds also told King-Nabors that she submitted a request to the Department of the Treasury regarding the status of any review by the Office of Inspector General into ARPA expenditures. As of the date of this letter, she said she has not yet received a response.
“Thank you again for your inquiry. I remain committed to supporting efforts that promote transparency, strengthen public confidence, and ensure that federal funds are used effectively for the benefit of the people of the Commonwealth. Should you have further questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact my office,” concluded her letter.
The State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program, authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act, delivered $350 billion to state, territorial, local, and Tribal governments across the U.S. to support their response to and recovery from the COVID-19 public health emergency.
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Story by Mark Rabago
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