TUCSON— Today the Biden Administration announced new guidance for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund created by the American Rescue Plan. The $350 billion emergency fund will provide direct relief to state, local, and tribal governments to respond to the ongoing public health emergency and accompanying economic crisis.

“Help is on the way to cities, counties, and tribes across Southern Arizona that have been on the frontlines of responding to the pandemic for the past year,” said Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva. “With these funds, state and local governments can save jobs, continue their COVID-19 response efforts, and direct aid to those communities that need it most.”

Arizona will receive approximately $4.2 billion in state funding in addition to local funding. State and local governments can use the funds to continue addressing the public health emergency, mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic, provide increased pay to essential workers, direct aid to communities that have faced disproportionate impacts of the pandemic, and invest in water, sewage, and broadband infrastructure.

“I have fought for direct aid for state and local governments since the beginning of the pandemic, and we are finally on the cusp of providing localities with the direct relief they largely haven’t seen,” continued Rep. Grijalva. “I urge the Biden Administration to deliver these funds quickly and for our state and county governments to efficiently distribute them in ways that will help Arizona workers and families rebound from the pandemic stronger than before.”

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