On March 27, 2020, President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a package of stimulus funds that established the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) program. CRF provides State governments with an apportioned amount of federal funding to support public services impacted or adjusting to the presence of COVID-19. Of these CRF dollars, Oklahoma received roughly $1.2 billion in May. The U.S. Treasury’s guidance advises the State to deliver CRF money through a reimbursement process for COVID-19 related expenses incurred at State agencies as well as with county and municipal governments.
In preparation for the distribution of these critical dollars, Governor Kevin Stitt established CARES FORWARD, a team of Cabinet Secretaries and public employees who have an expertise in finance, federal grants, and auditing and are led by the State’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) John Budd and Secretary of Budget Mike Mazzei.