From the National Association of Counties
On February 27, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319), a $1.9 trillion bill aimed at combatting the COVID-19 pandemic based on President Biden’s American Rescue Plan framework.
The legislation, which passed on a 219-212 vote, is advancing by the budget reconciliation process, which allows both chambers to pass the bill with limits on procedural delays. Most significantly, reconciliation allows the Senate to bypass the filibuster and pass legislation with a 50-vote threshold so long as it meets a series of budgetary requirements.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where it will go straight to the floor, where the bill and any amendments are required to comply with reconciliation rules with a vote on passage to follow. The House must then pass the updated legislation before sending it to the President’s desk. The Majority in both houses aim to complete this process by March 14, when existing unemployment insurance provisions are slated to expire.
Along with $350 billion in direct assistance to state and local governments, including $65.1 with direct aid to counties to respond to the pandemic, the American Rescue Plan Act includes hundreds of billions of dollars for public health and vaccines, assistance for vulnerable populations, education and housing stabilization and more. This analysis highlights key provisions for county governments.
Read NACo’s full analysis here.
See county-by-county funding estimates for Kentucky here.
