Providing Important Funding to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic
Last week, the Missouri General Assembly passed House Bill 2014, the supplemental budget bill, which provides additional resources to the funding already authorized in the Fiscal Year 2020 budget. I believe supplemental budget bills are a useful tool to hold agencies accountable for their spending, as well as a way to provide funding for unseen circumstances that may arise throughout the course of the fiscal year.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, I believe the funding included in this year’s supplemental budget will safeguard the public’s health, bolster our health care infrastructure and minimize the damage to our economy. Most of the funding that makes up the $6.2 billion supplemental budget bill comes from the federal government’s $2 trillion COVID-19 relief package. The funding in HB 2014 supports numerous state agencies and departments, many of which are on the frontlines battling the COVID-19 virus. Below are some of the important areas that will receive funding though the supplemental budget bill.
- $1 billion in support for local governments. The state must distribute these funds within 10 days of receiving the funding from the federal government.
- $1 billion in support for the State Emergency Management Agency’s statewide response to the COVID-19 virus. This funding is designed to meet several of the state’s equipment needs, including providing important personal protective equipment for our state’s first responders and other medical supplies.
- $1.8 billion in spending authority for our state’s public K-12 schools.
- $500 million in spending authority for our state’s public colleges and universities.
- $90 million in support for our state’s nursing homes and their residents.
- $47.5 million to provide hazard pay to prison and state hospital staff.
- $35 million to provide meals and other support services to our state’s seniors through Area Agencies on Aging.
- $33 million in support for hospitals throughout our state, plus an additional $4.5 million specifically for rural hospitals and primary care.
- $20 million in support for child care programs and providers.
- $11 million in support for the Missouri National Guard as they work with local communities to address the effects of the COVID-19 virus.
As I said earlier, the bulk of this spending authority comes from the federal government’s $2 trillion relief package. That said, this does not mean that the state needs to spend every dollar allocated through HB 2014. The supplemental spending bill simply gives the state the option to spend up to those amounts. In addition, HB 2014 includes some oversight provisions that will allow the state to track how these funds are used. The legislation also includes language requiring the state to distribute federal funds to local municipalities within 10 days of receiving the funding from the federal government. Given the ever-changing situation surrounding the COVID-19 virus, I believe the supplemental spending bill ensures the state has the resources needed to address the serious challenges caused by the virus.
It is an honor to serve you in the Missouri Senate. Please do not hesitate to contact my office at (573) 751-3678 or by email at dave.schatz@senate.mo.gov if you have any questions or concerns — we are honored to serve you.