Georgia could receive about $4.1 billion in state and local aid from the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package passed by the U.S. Senate, the Tax Foundation estimates.
About $2.3 billion of those funds will be used to fight the spread of COVID-19 on the state level. The remaining $1.8 billion – or 45 percent – will be allocated to local governments, according to the provisions in the measure.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was unanimously passed by the U.S. Senate late Wednesday. The act still needs U.S. House approval before it can be sent to President Donald Trump.
Georgia U.S. Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler voted in favor of the act.
“The American people are right to expect Congress to rise to the moment, just as they have,” Loeffler said in a statement. “We need to quickly turn to executing on the promises made to ensure America is strong and healthy.”
The measure directs $150 billion to states, territories, local and tribal governments. The aid will be distributed according to state population. Every state will receive at least $1.25 billion, according to the National Conference of State Legislators.
Georgia has a population of about 10.5 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Local governments must have a population of more than 500,000 to qualify for aid.
It is unclear how the funds will be allocated. Representatives for Loeffler, Perdue and the state’s budget office could not be reached for comment Thursday.
The relief package also provides an additional $274 billion for Medicaid, Medicare, unemployment benefits, food assistance and other federal programs. States also will get a share of the $100 billion pegged for public health and $30 billion for schools.
Provisions in the bill require the funds to be used to cover expenses from the public health crisis from March 1 through Dec. 1 and are not included in the state’s budget.
Georgia ended the last fiscal year with $2.8 billion it is rainy day fund. That’s enough to operate the state for about 34 days during a crisis, according to analysts at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.
Earlier this month, Gov. Brian Kemp asked the General Assembly to transfer $100 million from the reserve to the midyear budget to combat the outbreak. It was the first time the surplus funds have been touched since the Great Recession.
The Georgia Department of Public Health on Thursday afternoon reported 1,525 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state, including 48 deaths.
COVID-19 symptoms appear within two to 14 days after exposure and include fever, cough, runny nose and difficulty breathing.
Most people who have it develop only mild symptoms. But some people, usually the elderly and those with other medical complications, develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal.
