“When President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law on February 17, 2009, it marked the beginning of a 45-day window for each state to claim the funds allocated to it by the act. In order to receive funds from the ARRA, governors have 45 days to certify that they will first of all “request and use” funds from the ARRA and second of all use them to create jobs and promote economic growth. If a governor does not accept funds allocated to his or her state before that window expires, the state’s legislature then has the option of certifying those two conditions itself.”