On September 2, the Department of Treasury updated the guidance and the FAQs for the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF). The guidance included clarification on using funds to cover payroll and benefits of public employees and administrative costs. The guidance recognized there is no precise definition for the term “substantially dedicated”, leaving the decision up to CRF recipients as long as it can be justified with documentation of the jurisdiction’s interpretation of the term.

New additions to the FAQs covered use of CRF funds on costs associated with the safe reopening of schools, use of funds to upgrade public health infrastructure such as providing families and individuals with access to running water, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Links to the updated CRF guidance and FAQs can be found on GFOA’s COVID-19 Relief Fund page here.