Tennessee finance officials outline ARPA spending, technology projects and cautious FY27 outlook

Commissioner Jim Bryson and staff told the Finance, Ways and Means Committee on Oct. 28 that Tennessee has moved from short‑term pandemic relief to longer‑term investments paid for in large part with federal CARES and American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds.

“Through the leadership of the FSAG, the Financial Stimulus Accountability Group led by the governor and the speakers, and careful stewardship of these federal funds, Tennessee didn’t just weather the storm. We built a stronger foundation for our future,” Commissioner Bryson said in opening remarks, citing investments in water, broadband and health systems.

Why it matters: committee members focused on whether the state will be able to spend remaining ARPA allocations ahead of federal deadlines and how that affects the FY27 budget framework. Finance staff said many projects are on track but some capital projects are “backend‑loaded” and could require reallocations if local partners can’t document spend quickly.

Key numbers and projects: Finance staff said CARES Act relief delivered more than $2.3 billion statewide and that ARPA allocations totaled roughly $3.7 billion. Specific ARPA commitments listed in the presentation included $1.3…