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Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced details on how American Rescue Plan funds can be used to respond to acute pandemic response needs, fill revenue shortfalls among local governments, and support the communities and populations hardest-hit by the COVID-19 crisis. Florida’s municipalities will be able to access this funding in the coming days to address these needs.
For an overview of the American Rescue Plan program, including an expanded use of eligible uses, view this fact sheet.
This funding will provide flexibility for each jurisdiction to meet local needs – including support for households, small businesses, impacted industries, essential workers and the communities hardest-hit by the crisis. Within the categories of eligible uses listed, municipalities have broad flexibility to decide how best to use this funding to meet the needs of their communities.
In addition to allowing for flexible spending up to the level of their revenue loss, recipients can use funds to:
- Support public health expenditures, by – among other uses – funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, mental health and substance misuse treatment and certain public health and safety personnel responding to the crisis.
- Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including by rehiring public sector workers, providing aid to households facing food, housing or other financial insecurity, offering small business assistance, and extending support for industries hardest hit by the crisis.
- Aid the communities and populations hardest hit by the crisis, supporting an equitable recovery by addressing not only the immediate harms of the pandemic, but its exacerbation of longstanding public health, economic and educational disparities.
- Provide premium pay for essential workers, offering additional support to those who have borne and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service during the pandemic; and,
- Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, improving access to clean drinking water, supporting vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and expanding access to broadband internet.
The Florida League of Cities will continue to keep you updated in the weeks and months ahead to help you with the proper and efficient expenditure of your funds.
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