When President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) on March 11, 2021, he approved $65.1 billion in direct aid to counties based on each county’s share of the U.S. population. The measure also sends an additional $1.5 billion for public land counties.

For Oklahoma’s 77 counties, that direct aid amounts to $767,430,155 that doesn’t flow through the legislative appropriations process or trickle down as pass-through funding from a state agency like the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

The funding comes with restrictions for its use. Responding or mitigating the COVID-19 health emergency or its negative economic impacts is sighted as allowable under ARPA.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) states this provision includes “assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits, or aid to impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality” although other activities may also be permissible.

Across Oklahoma, 588 of 589 cities and towns identified by the US Treasury will receive a share of the $540.75 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds flowing into the state.

The money is part of the $65.1 billion set aside for local government which includes municipalities and counties.

The disbursements range from $124.95 million for Oklahoma City to $321.42 for Lotsee, a small town located in Tulsa County with a population of six residents.

Of the 589 cities and towns listed, only Carlton Landing, a master-planned resort town located on Lake Eufaula in Pittsburg County with 56 residents, was excluded from receiving stimulus funds.

The funds will first flow to the State before being passed on to cities and towns. ARPA includes a provision prohibiting states from interfering with distribution of the funds.

Beginning July 1, 2022, Oklahoma will join 24 other states to provide residents digital titles and liens for vehicles, boats, trailers, and farm equipment.

The measure, by State Senator Rob Standridge, (R-Norman), and Representative Mike Osburn, (R-Edmond), directs the Oklahoma Tax Commission (OTC) to create a program for the filing and storage of motor vehicle certificates of title and allows a lienholder to perfect, assign, and release a lien on a motor vehicle digitally instead of maintaining paper documents.

"The pandemic has shown us how much business can be done electronically but one item that slows the process down and adds cost is how we handle titles in Oklahoma,” Sen. Standridge said. “By allowing this digital transformation, we’re making the process more convenient for consumers and businesses, saving time and money.”

The Oklahoma State Department of Health is expanding its outreach to more underserviced areas of Oklahoma.