On Thursday President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP), providing $1.9 trillion in economic stimulus to assist in the long-term recovery from the economic and public health impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Governor Laura Kelly’s office, this legislation will benefit Kansas, and Kansans, in multiple ways.
“The American Rescue Plan will provide critical relief to Kansas families and businesses who have struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “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.
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:
- Direct aid to Kansans in the form of $1,400 checks per person for incomes up to $75,000
- Extension of unemployment benefits
- The ARP extends benefits from March 14 to September 6
- Enhanced benefits will stay at $300/week
- Provide direct housing and nutrition assistance
- Emergency rental assistance, utility assistance, and homeowners support
- 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
- Investments in infrastructure that support food safety
- 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.
