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State Expenditure Plans

The Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act) established the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) as an independent federal entity. Under the Spill Impact Component of the RESTORE Act, commonly referred to as “Bucket 3”, 30 percent of the funds in the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund (Trust Fund) are disbursed to the five Gulf Coast States.

In order for the Spill Impact Component funds to be disbursed to a State or their administrative agent, the RESTORE Act requires each State to develop a State Expenditure Plan (SEP) and submit it to the Council Chairperson for approval. These projects, programs, and activities will be implemented in a manner consistent with the requirements of the RESTORE Act, as well as the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan.

On March 27, 2024, the Council updated the Guidelines for State Expenditure Plans describing the required elements, the submittal process, and the Council Chairperson evaluation standards.  

The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Spill Impact Component Implementation Grants (Link to Federal Register) provides detailed information and requirements on the two phase SEP application process. The submittal and approval of the SEP by the Council Chairperson is the first phase of the application process. After the SEP has been approved by the Council Chairperson, the second phase, submission of a grant application, follows. Both the SEP and the grant application must be submitted through the Restoration Assistance and Award Management System (RAAMS), an electronic grants system utilized by the RESTORE Council for the management of grants and interagency agreements. The portal to RAAMS and the RAAMS User’s Guide can be found on the Council Grants Office page.

Funding Allocations

Once a State Expenditure Plan is approved by the Council, a grant will be awarded to the State. Effective April 4, 2016, a Federal court in Louisiana approved and entered the consent decree. Using the formula and information set forth in the Rule, the allocation of Spill Impact Component funds for specific projects, programs, and activities identified in the State Expenditure Plan is: