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Urgent Updates
What’s the latest regarding the federal stimulus legislation?
The Senate passed its version of the coronavirus relief
package – H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 – last weekend, and
yesterday the House approved the Senate version of the bill with no
amendments. Of most importance to cities is a spreadsheet prepared on
March 8 that shows the allocations to cities across the nation. Texas
officials should take a look at their allocations, which are substantial – even for
smaller cities.
The final step will be the President’s signature, which is
expected shortly.
What information has the National League of Cities compiled
about the federal stimulus legislation?
The National League of Cities provided the following in an
update yesterday (March 10).
Cities, towns and villages will receive $65.1 billion under
the bill. Specifically, the bill provides funding for:
-Payments to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments
for economic relief and to combat the virus;
-Agriculture and nutrition programs, including extending SNAP
and the Pandemic EBT program to keep families fed through the pandemic;
-Schools and institutions of higher education to safely reopen
schools, address learning loss, and support students and staff, including
support for broadband for students;
-Child care to help sustain child care providers and expand
child care assistance to 857,000 children;
-COVID-19 vaccinations, testing, treatment, and prevention,
especially for hard to reach communities and areas;
-Mental health and substance-use disorder services;
-Emergency rental assistance, homeowner assistance, and other
housing programs to help families pay rent, mortgages, and utilities;
-Transit agencies to prevent layoffs of transit workers and
prevent severe cuts to transit services that essential workers and the
general public rely on;
-Multiemployer pension plans;
-Small business assistance, including specific programs for
restaurants and live venues;
-Support for health care workers, transportation workers,
federal employees, veterans, and other targeted populations;
-International and humanitarian responses; and
-Tribal government services.
The bill also includes provisions that:
-Extend enhanced unemployment benefits through September,
providing an additional $300 per week on top of all state unemployment
benefits;
-Provide direct economic impact payments of $1,400 per
eligible individual and $2,800 for couples making up to $150,000 per year.
Eligible families will also receive an additional $1,400 payment per child
and adult dependent, amounting to $5,600 for an average family of four;
-Expand the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit,
tools intended to end poverty;
-Provide premium assistance for certain health insurance
coverage; and
-Require coverage, without cost-sharing, of COVID-19 vaccines
and treatment under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program
(CHIP).
Additional resources:
Summaries:
-ARP Title-By-Title Summary
-ARP Summary of Modifications to the House Bill
-ARP Overview by Senate Budget Committee
The below state-by-state estimates were prepared by multiple
institutions, including the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and various
senate committees:
-State and Local Fiscal Relief
-Enhanced Federal Unemployment Insurance
-Expanded Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit
-Additional Round of Direct Payments
-Education Relief Funding
-Emergency Rental Assistance
-LIHEAP
-FEMA Disaster Relief Fund Estimates
-Child Care and CCDBG
-Head Start
-Transit Relief for Urbanized Areas
-Rural Transit
-Paratransit
-Enhanced and Expanded ACA Subsidies, Additional Resources
-Extension of ACA Premium Subsidies to UI Recipients
Incentives for Non-Expansion States to Expand Medicaid
-Increased FMAP
-Increased Coverage
Thanks to NLC staff, who worked very hard to ensure that
assistance to cities remained in the legislation.
Further Updates
Where can I find archived issues of the TML Coronavirus
Updates?
TML Coronavirus Updates are archived by date here and by subject here.
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