American Rescue Plan Act 2021

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provides direct funding for all counties and municipalities to respond to COVID-19

The American Rescue Plan funds enable local governments to continue their digital transformation, providing accessible contactless services to citizens and supporting staff with digital tools to work safely and remotely.

nCourt helps you respond to COVID-19 by providing fully accessible websites for citizens, online government service options, contactless ePayments, and remote management by staff. We can accelerate your digital transformation with online solutions that meet citizen expectations, ensure business continuity, and position your community for the future.

Learn More about ARPA

Potential Funding for Local Government Website Upgrades

When did the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) officially start?

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) was signed into law by President Biden on Thursday, March 11, 2021.

How soon will ARP funds be distributed?

US Dept. of Treasury is to distribute initial payments within 60 days of enactment (March 11).

How much of the funds provided in ARP go to state and local governments?

The State and Local Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Funds provisions within ARP includes $350B for state, local and tribal governments. For context, CARES provided $150B.

How are the funds divided between local government agencies?

Approximately 40% of the $350B ($130.2B) will be distributed to counties and municipalities across the US, with allocations based upon population:

$65.1B to Counties: Every county in America will receive a direct allocation from the US Dept. of Treasury

$65.1B to municipalities: Every municipality will receive funds as follows:

$45.57 billion in direct federal aid for municipalities with populations of at least 50,000, using a modified Community Development Block Grant formula

$19.53 billion for municipalities with populations of less than 50,000 based on each jurisdiction’s percentage of the state’s population.

Aid to the municipalities is distributed through the states, with the ability for states to request an extension if they are unable to distribute within 30 days.

Municipalities and counties will receive funds in two tranches – with 50 percent this year and the remaining 50 percent no earlier than 12 months from the first payment.

All distribution and expenditures of these funds must occur by December 31, 2024

What are the allowable uses of the ARP funds?

Acceptable uses to meet eligibility requirements for funding under the American Rescue Plan are broadly defined to include:

Respond to or mitigate the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) or its negative economic impacts.

Cover costs incurred as a result of such emergency.

Replace revenue that was lost, delayed, or decreased (as determined based on revenue projects for the State, Tribal Government, or territory as of January 27, 2020) as a result of such emergency; or
Address the negative economic impacts of such emergency.

What reporting requirements do the government agencies have on use of funds?

Local governments must provide periodic reports that show in detail how the funds were used.

Want More Info?

Request A Demo

Civil eFile

Improve customer experience by eliminating costly trips to the government locations with nCourt’s eFiling services. We support a wide variety of online documents for the services you provide at your court or agency. Save time and cost associated with handling paper filing using our easy step-by-step and intuitive navigation features. Individuals, attorneys, and agencies can easily access the eFiling portal 24/7 online and make convenient payments with Visa, MasterCard, Discover credit and debit cards, and American Express.

Types of eFiling Documents

  • Alarm Systems
  • Building Permits
  • Child Support 
  • Commercial / Consumer Claim  
  • Landlord / Tenant 
  • Liens and Foreclosures 
  • Small Claims
  • Taxes – Property, Corporate, Individual 
  • Writ of Possession and much more

Features & Benefits

  • Save time and cost 
  • Reduce average filing time
  • Enhanced detailed reporting and exportable data 
  • Simple downloadable consolidated reconciliation statement

Child Support

There can be many obstacles when it comes to child support obligations such as restricted budgets, limited resources, along with possible wage garnishment and other mandated compliances that vary from state to state. The main goal is to ensure funds are disbursed safely and accurately to the children and families that rely on the financial resources.

nCourt’s payment solutions provide simple payment options and payment plans to ensure court-ordered compliance is met.

Features & Benefits

  • Streamline and speed processes and lower costs 
  • Reduce burden with a wide variety of payment methods and plans 
  • Maintain accurate and reliable payment reporting and records 
  • Compliance with NACHA and ACH network regulations

Probation & Juvenile

Provide easy and flexible payment services that are designed to work with probation terms and specific juvenile programs. nCourt provides payment solutions and services that help with meeting court-ordered financial obligations. Individuals and parents can access online payment options in the convenience and privacy of their homes. With simple payment plans and recurring payment options, courts can provide greater flexibility to citizens and enhance access to justice for effective public engagement.

Features & Benefits

  • Improve collections with 24/7 online payment acceptance
  • Includes reporting for community service hours and/or credits 
  • Maintain accurate records of payment transactions 
  • Supports payment modifications for deferred or installment payments

Fines & Assessments

Our payment solutions are driven by configurable workflows that are designed to consistently support rules-based requirements for court dates, judgments, printed documents, and payment compliances for fines and assessments. Easily manage and process payments using our robust reporting portal with simple dashboard features that provide safe and reliable transaction information every time you need it.

Features & Benefits

  • Increase your bottom line with a no-cost payment program
  • Improve collections with 24/7 online payment acceptance 
  • Bilingual call center with live agents and extended hours support 
  • Streamline accounting/audits with automated reconciliation tools 
  • Improve engagement with email and text outbound notifications
  • Multi-payment channels enhance overall customer experience

Restitution

Specifications regarding how restitution payments are calculated, how often payments need to be made, the minimum amount to be paid, who receives the restitution funds, and also if restitution can be paid by performing services are all unique from state to state and jurisdiction.

Our payment solutions are configurable to support these unique requirements and workflows for monetary-based and non-monetary court-ordered restitutions. Whether manage through the probation department or under community supervision, use our comprehensive payment solution can track detailed restitution payment transactions required for reporting.

Features & Benefits

  • Improve collections with 24/7 online payment acceptance 
  • Includes reporting for community service hours and/or credits 
  • Maintain accurate records of payment transactions 
  • Supports payment modifications for deferred or installment payments

Fines & Fees

Broadening the public reach is more crucial than ever before, and keeping up with payment requirements and technology is something that cannot be eliminated from courts and government agencies. With rules-based configuration for integrated and non-integrated payment solutions, nCourt provides intuitive payment sites to manage all types of fines and fees online for courts (e.g., county, municipal, circuit, district, and superior, etc.) and government agencies of every size and population. 

Through nCourt’s dynamic websites and bilingual call center with live friendly agents, your constituents and citizens can pay fines, fees, and more using any major credit or debit card with no processing costs to you.

Features & Benefits

  • Increase your bottom line with a no-cost payment program
  • Improve collections with 24/7 online payment acceptance
  • Bilingual call center with live agents and extended hours support
  • Streamline accounting/audits with automated reconciliation tools
  • Improve engagement with email and text outbound notifications
  • Case management system (CMS) integration and real-time reporting 
  • Multi-payment channels enhance overall customer experience

Bonds

Improve collections and public satisfaction by offering convenient ways to pay for court-ordered obligations. nCourt simplifies the financial process and manage bond payments directly from your system. Individuals can make convenient payments online from any location with internet connectivity.

Features & Benefits

  • Improve collections with 24/7 online payment acceptance
  • Individuals can make payments with a credit or debit card
  • Support multiple payment plans including jail and community service restitutions

Traffic Citations & Parking Tickets

Use integrated and non-integrated payment solutions to collect payments for traffic and parking tickets. We offer a no-cost, hassle-free payment program that improves operational efficiency and enhances cash flow. By using the web, mobile, bilingual IVR, and call center with live friendly agents, multiple payment channels improve the faster collection of payments and provide greater flexibility and convenience that enhances the overall customer experience.

Online Payment Convenience:

  • Record search by case/citation number – no location codes needed
  • Accept payment terms with the click of a button
  • View single/multiple citation amounts in the system
  • Key in amount with listed “minimum” payment options
  • Select opt-in feature for notifications and reminders
  • Accept multiple payment type options

Features & Benefits

  • Streamline the entire billing cycle with 24/7 online payment acceptance
  • Use a secure billing payment platform that is backed by a complete PCI-certified solution with encryption, tokenization and fraud prevention components
  • Efficient billing and payment services for utilities of all sizes, support CIS, MDMS and OMS platforms – including nCourt’s suite of services
  • Enable customers to control and update their payment options, and maintain payment details and history – enhancing customer engagement
  • Real-time reporting and tracking for accounting and audits
  • Supports and handles any combination of rates and regulatory services

How To Make A Payment

No. Payments cannot be made from this website. You must use the payment options available from the court or business that gave you the citation/billing statement.

Look for any payment information you received on the citation/billing statement you received from the court or business. You can also visit their website to see if they accept payments online, over the phone, or on-site at their office location.

If you cannot find a payment page on the court or business’s website, look for payment information that may be listed on your citation/billing statement. Other payment options may include phone payments or payments onsite.

Waste Management

Allow customers to make one-time payments or enroll in automatic billing for large garbage items, commercial, and residential waste management services. With complete bill presentment capabilities, we provide configurable payment workflows with your waste management system to securely handle the entire billing cycle for payment acceptance via web, mobile, and bilingual IVR. With a suite of comprehensive real-time transaction reporting, customers gain valuable oversight of their billing cycle for payments, refunds, and detailed account information.

Features & Benfits

  • Streamline the entire billing cycle with 24/7 online payment acceptance
  • Use a secure billing payment platform that is backed by a complete PCI-certified solution with encryption, tokenization and fraud prevention components
  • Efficient billing and payment services for large trash services
  • Enable customers to control and update their payment options,
    and maintain payment details and history – enhancing customer engagement
  • Real-time reporting and tracking for accounting and audits

Parks & Wildlife

Provide a positive experience for visitors, whether you collect park entrance fees, provide online reservations, and other park and recreation services. nCourt provides modern solutions to help state parks operate efficiently and provide flexible and safe payment options for park visitors. Improve operational efficiencies to increase park visitations, and revenue with online payment acceptance.

Features & Benfits

  • Integrated online payment solution and services
  • Secure and safe dashboard reporting to easily view, report, and export data
  • Automate payment workflow to reduce cost and staff resources
  • EMV-enabled point of sale devices
  • Increase revenue with multiple payment channels for the web, mobile and IVR payment
  • Increase visitor satisfaction with robust payment types for credit, debit, and digital wallets
    options provide added convenience to the public

Land Records

Effectively manage, track, and report the status of legal documents associated with land records management. By centralizing data electronically, you reduce the time, cost, and risk associated with maintaining and archiving legal documents and associated services. Consolidated data provides the added convenience for the staff and the public to access accurate and reliable information and ensures the easy filing and recording of property and personal filing records with streamlined efficiency.

Features & Benfits

  • Electronic data improve the safeguarding and archiving of records
  • Centralized data improves efficiencies, accuracies, and accessibility for staff and public access
  • Supports and streamlines the records management process for deeds, mortgages, and other types of property and personal filing records
  • Robust payment options provide added convenience to the public

Utility Bills

nCourt’s bill presentment software handles utilities of all sizes for water, gas, and electricity. Our streamlined payment solutions offer complete end-to-end integration for business and homeowner payment acceptance requirements and processes. With a suite of comprehensive data tools, customers gain valuable oversight of their billing cycle for payments, refunds, tracking, and reporting of historical and real-time energy usage –ultimately helping them to better understand and control energy consumption.

With robust payment features like split payment, shopping cart, and recurring payment options, customers have access to better payment flexibility, convenience, and account information to enhance customer engagement.

Features & Benefits

  • Streamline the entire billing cycle with 24/7 online payment acceptance
  • Use a secure billing payment platform that is backed by a complete PCI-certified solution with encryption, tokenization and fraud prevention components
  • Efficient billing and payment services for utilities of all sizes, support CIS, MDMS and OMS platforms – including nCourt’s suite of services
  • Enable customers to control and update their payment options, and maintain payment details and history – enhancing customer engagement
  • Real-time reporting and tracking for accounting and audits
  • Supports and handles any combination of rates and regulatory services

Waste Management

Allow customers to make one-time payments or enroll in automatic billing for large garbage items, commercial, and residential waste management services. With complete bill presentment capabilities, we provide configurable payment workflows with your waste management system to securely handle the entire billing cycle for payment acceptance via web, mobile, and bilingual IVR. With a suite of comprehensive real-time transaction reporting, customers gain valuable oversight of their billing cycle for payments, refunds, and detailed account information.

Features & Benfits

  • Streamline the entire billing cycle with 24/7 online payment acceptance
  • Use a secure billing payment platform that is backed by a complete PCI-certified solution with encryption, tokenization and fraud prevention components
  • Efficient billing and payment services for large trash services
  • Enable customers to control and update their payment options,
    and maintain payment details and history – enhancing customer engagement
  • Real-time reporting and tracking for accounting and audits