GOV. RITTER ANNOUNCES SUCCESSFUL RECOVERY ACT DATA REPORT

Gov. Bill Ritter today announced that more than 20 state agencies and higher education institutions across Colorado have successfully submitted spending and job information to the federal government for more than $1 billion in grants and loans awarded to the State of Colorado through Sept. 30 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The state used a new centralized process at no extra cost to report more than 25,000 pieces of required data that will be made public later this month.

“The Recovery Act is creating and saving jobs and supporting struggling families across Colorado as we work to grow our economy,” Gov. Ritter said. “At the same time, this landmark law requires an unprecedented level of openness about how funds are spent, and the State has worked hard since the summer to help state agencies meet these requirements.”

The Governor’s Economic Recovery Team, the state Controller’s office and the Governor’s Office of Information Technology worked with State agencies to submit the data files by the Oct. 10 deadline set by section 1512 of the Recovery Act. The federal government will begin releasing data, which includes job impact figures for federal contracts, on Oct. 15. The vast majority of spending information, including what was submitted by the State on Oct. 10, is scheduled to be posted on the federal Recovery Act website, www.recovery.gov on Oct. 30.

Later this week and before October 30, the Governor’s Office will release a variety of reports on its website, www.colorado.gov/recovery about how Recovery Act funds are being used across Colorado .

The Recovery Act was signed in Denver in February by President Obama and is designed to strengthen the economy through a steady two-year plan. The Recovery Act distributes $787 billion to create jobs, boost safety net services, support education and vital services, reduce taxes and invest in infrastructure and growth industries. Colorado expects to receive at least $5.5 billion. That number could increase significantly after major competitive grants are awarded in coming months.