The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act represents an unparalleled investment in American Samoa and its inhabitants.

 

Money is beginning to permeate throughout American Samoa’s economy, from extra help for those in need to energy dollars for weatherization of low-income homes and rebates for energy efficient appliances to job creation and business assistance to jump start the economy.

 

The ARRA invests in those that need help the most - through increases in senior benefits, Medicaid payments, and food stamps.

 

The ARRA invests in American Samoa’s infrastructure - more than $38 million to build new roads, community health centers, waste water systems, clean water projects, energy efficiency and other projects. Additional millions are expected to be approved based on applications submitted for federal competitive grant opportunities.

The ARRA gives thousands of working American Samoans a break through tax credits like the Making Work Pay tax credit.

 

Finally, the ARRA invests in American Samoa’s future. Part of American Samoa’s share will go to public schools and college students that need help the most. And American Samoan groups have worked industriously to access extra millions in competitive grants that can strengthen high-speed Internet access, modernize the electric grid, create green jobs, increase energy efficiency, enhance infrastructure, and invest in the best education reform possible.

 

In addition to direct awards, there are several opportunities for American Samoa to be granted tens of millions more through competitive grants. Those grant opportunities are given below.

 

The broadband initiative is designed to bring American Samoa’s people and resources together by implementing a territory-wide broadband effort that will ultimately benefit every community in the Territory regardless of size. If fully funded and implemented, this can significantly enhance the Territory’s ability to improve education, economic development, health care, and renewable energy.

 

American Samoa is truly a clean air jurisdiction. With alliances in the process of being forged to demonstrate the Territory’s ability to develop clean and renewable energy, combined with the latest in smart grid technology to maximize the efficient use of energy in our homes and businesses, the road ahead looks promising for green and smart grids.

 

American Samoa is working to develop new transmission lines through the American Samoa Power Authority. Stimulus funding and other incentives in these areas will help position American Samoa to attract clean and green companies, enhance the environment, protect valuable water resources, and generate clean energy to its consumers.

 

One of the largest national thrusts for stimulus funding is in the area of health information technology, an area in which American Samoa should be able to compete effectively. The focus of this effort is to expand the use of electronic medical records designed to improve health care quality and efficiency and, thereby, reduce costs.

 

On February 12, 2010, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis announced a total of nearly $1 billion in Recovery Act awards to help health care providers advance the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology (IT) and train workers for the health care jobs of the future.

 

The awards will help make health IT available to over 100,000 hospitals and primary care physicians by 2014 and train thousands of people for careers in health care and information technology. This Recovery Act investment will help grow the emerging health IT industry which is expected to support tens of thousands of jobs ranging from nurses and pharmacy techs to IT technicians and trainers.

 

The over $750 million in HHS grant awards Secretary Sebelius recently announced are part of a federal initiative to build capacity to enable widespread meaningful use of health IT. This assistance at the state and regional level will facilitate health care providers' efforts to adopt and use electronic health records (EHRs) in a meaningful manner that has the potential to improve the quality and efficiency of health care for all Americans. Of the over $750 million investment, $386 million will go to 40 states and qualified State Designated Entities (SDEs) to facilitate health information exchange (HIE) at the state level, while $375 million will go to an initial 32 non-profit organizations to support the development of regional extension centers (RECs) that will aid health professionals as they work to implement and use health information technology - with additional HIE and REC awards to be announced in the near future. RECs are expected to provide outreach and support services to at least 100,000 primary care providers and hospitals within two years.

 

"Health information technology can make our health care system more efficient and improve the quality of care we all receive," said Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. "These grant awards, the first of their kind, will help develop our electronic infrastructure and give doctors and other health care providers the support they need as they adopt this powerful technology."

 

American Samoa will benefit from this HIE funding through the Pacific E-Commerce Development Corporation, which was awarded $600,000.

 

In addition to the over $62 million of ARRA funds for education and other stabilization programs, services, and activities in the Territory, the U.S. Department of Education is making $4.35 billion available to states and territories via the Race to the Top Fund. This historic competitive grant opportunity aims to reward states that create strategies to address four key areas of school reform:

The Territory has taken the initiative to coordinate applications for millions in ARRA federal competitive grants to provide additional training opportunities at various facilities, including the territory’s only community college and a public communications agency. These initiatives will help make American Samoa a leader in training for the green jobs of the future.

 

American Samoa is receiving more than $8 million in ARRA funding to improve highways, roads, and public transportation projects, among others. More money is available through Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) competitive grants. The Territory will continue to pursue applications for additional highway funds to help improve roads throughout the Territory.

 

American Samoa’s approach to competitive grants reflects coordinated, collaborative efforts to maximize benefits across programs, thereby giving our Territory the ability to compete as effectively as possible for stimulus funds and to benefit the maximum number of citizens and American Samoa neighborhoods, communities, and villages.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes significant funding for water infrastructure improvement projects in American Samoa.  Water infrastructure funding within the ARRA is dichotomized into two general categories: wastewater and drinking water projects. 

The American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) will oversee formulaic funds distributed to the American Samoa State Revolving Fund dedicated to water infrastructure development.  The American Samoa State Revolving Fund (SRF) is an existing program managed by the ASPA which provides funding for wastewater and drinking water projects. 

The ARRA has provided the ASPA with over $3 million to fund wastewater infrastructure projects and under $1 million to fund drinking water infrastructure projects.

For specific information regarding the SRF Program including requirements for consideration and types of assistance available, please visit: www.aspower.com.

 

 

More than $19 million has so far come to American Samoa to provide summer youth jobs, senior community employment training, skills development, and tax credits.

 

Examples of programs include summer youth employment programs, extra training for dislocated workers, and services to help unemployed American Samoa’s workers boost their education or skills in order to reenter the workforce.

 

These funds will help strengthen Territory’s workforce and help families weather the recession.

 

During the summer months 2009, more than $500,000 in Workforce Investment Act funds were spent to conduct a summer youth employment program. The program provided subsidized employment to youth who have barriers to employment. The program ran from May through August 2009.

 

Participants gained real-time work experience in the public and private sector. Youth also participated in work readiness courses teaching about timeliness, attendance, appropriate dress, resume writing, and interviewing skills.

 

Throughout the Territory over 400 youth, ages 14-24, participated. 354 youth participated.

The ARRA creates new tax-exempt bonds and new tax-credit bonds to spur economic development and construction in a variety of areas. The act also modifies existing regulations and eases restrictions.

 

ARRA bond programs include Build America Bonds, Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds, Qualified School Construction Bonds, Qualified Zone Academy Bonds, Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds, and New Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, among others. More than $257 million in bond financing is available to the Territory under ARRA.

 

 

 

At the national level, roughly one-third of Recovery Act dollars are dedicated to tax relief for people and businesses. Current estimates show American Samoans will receive at least $17 million in tax credits from the ARRA, including the Making Work Pay Tax Credit.

 

More information about ARRA tax credits can be accessed at the following links:

Several loan and loan guarantee programs are also addressed by the ARRA, including the Renewable Energy Loan Guarantee program, U.S. Department of Agriculture loans and loan guarantees, and Small Business Administration loans.

For more information about loans please visit:

A central goal of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is to stabilize funding for public and higher education.

 

Education represents the largest investment among American Samoa’s share of Recovery Act funds, and this money is soon to be flowing in the Territory. (April 2010)

 

Current estimates show that public and higher education will receive more than $54 million in ARRA funds.

With the approval of the State Fiscal Stabilization Funds and Consolidated Grant applications looming, this money is expected to generate and save hundreds of jobs, and create stability for American Samoa’s teachers and children during these particularly challenging times.

 

American Samoa will receive about a quarter of a million dollars in ARRA funds for programs through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B.

 

Some projects or activities to be supported by these funds include salaries and benefits for returning or new special education staff; professional development; data reporting enhancements; and coordinated early intervening services.

  

More than $6 million is allocated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to American Samoa in the form of specific programs designed to help people with everything from nutrition assistance to child immunizations.

 

This includes funding for programs such as Head Start, early intervention for infants and toddlers with disabilities, and federally qualified health center services.

 

A large investment in this area is in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. American Samoa’s share of these ARRA dollars alone is more than $2 million. Because of ARRA, a food stamp recipient receiving the maximum benefit sees an additional $26 per month.

 

This means real help for families that need it the most. Furthermore, these dollars flow through American Samoa’s economy supporting grocery and other small businesses.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides many opportunities to advance greater energy efficiency for American Samoa homes, schools, and public buildings.

 

The State Energy Program, Weatherization Assistance Program, and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant will dramatically boost American Samoa’s efforts in clean, efficient, and renewable energy.

 

Projects are just getting underway, putting American Samoans to work throughout the Territory. These projects will be located in schools at all levels, health facilities, government edifices, homes and offices, and village communities.

 

The Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program is slated to commence in March 2010.

 

Investments from the ARRA today will not only benefit the current population, but future generations. The enormous savings in energy costs can be used to meet other vital community and neighborhood needs.