USDOE October 5, 2009 letter regarding QSCBs

To respond to your recent inquiries, QSCBs (and other American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) tax credit bond projects) are not subject to the Buy American, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), reporting, and whistle-blower requirements that are authorized in Division A of the Recovery Act. QSCBs and QZABs are authorized in Division B of ARRA and the requirements that you are referencing from Division A do not apply. QSCBs and QZABs are subject to Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements (i.e., subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40). However this is the result of a separate statutory provision (see sec. 1601 of Division B of ARRA) and not the separate Division A provision.
Thank you for your interest in these programs.

Jane Hess
Office of the General Counsel
U.S. Department of Education

Race To The Top Presentation - Powerpoint 12/14/09

ARRA Training Module for K-12 - Powerpoint

ARRA Training Webinar for School Districts - Video

U.S. Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/index.html#apps

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009
http://www.recovery.gov/

Office of the Governor
http://stimulus.ms.gov/msgo/mssr.nsf

Office of the State Auditor
http://www.osa.state.ms.us/arra.htm

Federal Links

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/recovery_faqs - Frequently Asked Questions on the American Recovery
    and Reinvestment Act
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/recovery_default - Recovery Act Guidance
http://www.whitehouse.gov/recovery/webinartrainingmaterials - Webinar Training Materials

U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
http://www.gao.gov/recovery - GAO's Website for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act


State Links

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)
http://www.mmrs.state.ms.us/statewide_applications/
stimulus/dfa_stimulus_policies_and_procedures.shtml

Mississippi Stimulus Policies and Procedures
http://www.dfa.state.ms.us/offices/ofm/maapp.htm

Mississippi Agency Accounting Policies and Procedures (MAAPP) Manual (contains internal control documentation)
http://www.mmrs.state.ms.us/ - Mississippi Management and Reporting System (MMRS)

Department of Employment Security
http://www.mdes.ms.gov/wps/PA_1_0_CH/docs/Mojo/MojoEmployer/Employerpage.htm
Employment Job Posting

Personal Services Contract Review Board (PSCRB)
http://www.spb.ms.gov/spb/web.nsf/webpages/LNAR_tpagci?opendocument
Contract Procurement Board