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Governor Kevin Stitt announced on Tuesday a bipartisan legislative advisory group to work with his administration to effectively distribute approximately $1.2 billion in federal funds provided to Oklahoma under the CARES Act.

Senator Julie Daniels of Bartlesville is one of 23 legislators on the advisory committee. In a statement, Gov. Stitt said:

“The legislators on this committee have the pulse of the communities they serve. I’ve said that Oklahoma is better when we work together, and I am excited to have their input on how we can use these federal funds to serve and enhance the lives of all four million Oklahomans.”

The Stitt administration has been working for several weeks on establishing the framework for advisory groups and a robust tracking and reporting system for CARES Act reimbursements. Gov. Stitt said work also continues on a portal for local governments to submit COVID-19 related expenses for reimbursement under the CARES Act.

According to guidance from the U.S. Treasury, CARES Act funds may only be used as reimbursement for costs that are related to the COVID-19 public health emergency, were not accounted for in existing budgets and are incurred between Sunday, March 1st and Wednesday, December 30th.

The guidance specifically states that “funds may not be used to fill shortfalls in government revenue to cover expenditures that would otherwise not qualify under the statute.”