Gov. Laura Kelly said Friday that Kansas will use federal funding from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan for broadband, child care, education and business, to help in the recovery from COVID-19.
The federal plan also includes a direct check for $1,400 to individuals making less than $75,000 a year.
Kansas was estimated to receive about $1.5 billion for the state government, and an additional $143 million for capital projects in the state, according to information from the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Additionally, some federal funding will go directly to cities, counties and other governments in Kansas, estimated at $989 million, according to information from the NCSL.
According to the National League of Cities, metro cities with more than 50,000 residents, such as Kansas City, Kansas, will receive direct funding from the federal government according to a Community Development Block Grant formula that measures population, poverty and housing instability. (https://www.nlc.org/article/2021/03/12/everything-you-need-to-know-about-covid-relief/)
“The American Rescue Plan will provide critical relief to Kansas families and businesses who have struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Gov. Laura Kelly said in a news release Friday. “While I disagreed on the allocation formula, these funds will allow us to make targeted and strategic investments in childcare, broadband, education, and our business communities to aid our recovery from COVID-19.”
The ARP aims to move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, return children to school, vaccinate the population, provide direct assistance to families, and stimulate economic growth, according to Gov. Kelly’s news release. The federal bill was amended to prohibit funds being used for tax cuts.
As a part of the American Rescue Plan, the state of Kansas will be eligible for a variety of funding. Below are some of the programs and initiatives available to Kansas; many more will be made available through strategic coordination and investment, according to the governor’s office:
• Direct aid to Kansans in the form of $1,400 checks per person for incomes up to $75,000
• Extension of unemployment benefits
o The ARP extends benefits from March 14 to Sept. 6
o Enhanced benefits will stay at $300 a week
• Provide direct housing and nutrition assistance
o Emergency rental assistance, utility assistance, and homeowners support
o Key investments in food security, including extending Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, Women Infants and Children (WI) benefits, and Pandemic-EBT programs
• Strengthen support for farm communities, growers, and producers
o Investments in infrastructure that support food safety
o Debt relief for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers
• Expand access to safe and reliable child care through Child Care and Development Block Grant
• Expand the Child Tax Credit and an improved Earned Income Tax Credit
The federal government will release more information and guidance in the coming weeks regarding funding for Kansas, according to the governor’s office.
More information on the American Rescue Plan is at https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/legislation/2021/01/20/president-biden-announces-american-rescue-plan/.