Federal Emergency COVID-19 Relief Funding
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Bill Summary - 21LSO-0514 Bill No.: SF0118 Effective: Multiple Dates LSO No.: 21LSO-0514 Enrolled Act No.: SEA No. 0072 Chapter No.: 166 Prime Sponsor: Joint Appropriations Committee Catch Title: Federal emergency COVID-19 relief funding. Subject: Creating programs and providing appropriations for COVID-19 relief. Summary/Major Elements: This act authorizes the Department of Family Services to administer the Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Programs. This act appropriates Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds, provides the Governor authority to award funding related to previously approved CARES Act program applications and allows the Governor to recreate certain programs authorized by laws passed during the 2020 Special Session. The act provides the Governor authority on September 1, 2021 to create programs to expend remaining CARES Act and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funds for: The provision of government services to the extent of a reduction in state revenues due to COVID-19; Necessary capital construction and infrastructure projects; Essential worker premium pay; Food insecurity; Grants to health care providers to respond to the pandemic, including for capital construction costs; COVID-19 related expenses of the judicial and legislative branches; Assistance to households, small businesses, nonprofits and industries impacted by COVID-19; Other COVID-19 related expenses that are permissible expenditures under federal law. Appropriates the following federal funds: Approximately one billion five hundred million dollars ($1,500,000,000.00) in federal ARP Act funds to state government, capital construction, K-12 education and higher education in Wyoming; Approximately two hundred twenty million dollars ($220,000,000.00) in funds for the federal emergency rental assistance program; At least thirty-eight million dollars ($38,000,000.00) in CARES Act funds and potentially up to another one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000.00) in CARES Act funds, dependent on the amount of CARES Act funds returned to the State; Four million dollars ($4,000,000.00) from the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account for the Governor to expend as necessary to continue required maintenance of effort and maintenance of equality requirements under federal law. Comments: Allows the Governor to create a variety of new programs to expend federal funds; The Rental Assistance Program and CARES Act programs (to expend thirty-eight million dollars ($38,000,000.00)) are effective immediately. All appropriations are also effective immediately. The Governor’s ability to create programs to expend the vast majority of ARP Act and CARES Act funds does not become effective until September 1, 2021. Delayed effective date, multiple dates. The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent. While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.
Public statements
Last checked Aug 6, 9:18 AM
R · H54
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports keeping the bill as written because they believe the department has already complied with competitive bidding expectations by inviting multiple providers to submit proposals.
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker urges a vote on an amendment because they find it unclear why future actions need to bypass competitive bidding statutes when previous compliance has already occurred.
R · H08
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports an amendment to clarify and ensure funding is available for training healthcare professionals using relief dollars.
R · S26
Why they voted this way
The speaker argues the bill has been altered so significantly that it no longer resembles the original version, prompting a request to vote against it.
Wyoming roll calls
7 roll calls
Official activity
Changes
8 stored
The amendment adds a new clause to allow funding for training healthcare professionals and workforce programs across the state.
The amendment removes certain exemptions from procurement statutes and related language in the bill.
The amendment allows the governor to spend up to $2,500,000 to help state workers who lost income due to furloughs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The amendment adds a new clause to the bill that allows for funding healthcare professional training and workforce training programs across the state.
The amendment approves the substitute version of bill SF0118, which deals with federal emergency COVID-19 relief funding.
The amendment allows the governor to recreate expired COVID-19 aid programs if funds were not fully used by December 30, 2020, and provides up to $18 million for these recreated programs.
The amendment changes the amount of money allocated for a specific purpose from fifteen million dollars to four million dollars.
The amendment removes specific language related to the approval and expenditure of CARES Act funds in various sections of the bill.