A bipartisan bill introduced on Wednesday in the U.S. House of Representatives would extend the period when amounts under the Coronavirus Relief Fund can be spent.
A total of $150 billion in coronavirus relief funds were distributed to states and localities under the CARES Act.
Many states have not spent all their allocated funds. Under the Leveraging Options for Counties and Localities Act (LOCAL Act), H.R. 7854, the deadline for counties to spend those funds would be extended to Dec. 31, 2021.
The bill was introduced by U.S. Reps. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA).
“Rebuilding the health, safety, and economy of our communities will take discipline, teamwork, and time,” Dean said. “This act gives our counties the time needed to use federal resources. I look forward to working with my colleagues and other leaders to ensure we have the tools to protect our constituents and recover from this pandemic.”
“Counties and municipalities have been hard hit by COVID-19 and the federal government must be nimble and able to pivot to address these challenges,” Thompson said. “Through the LOCAL Act, we will provide flexibility on unanticipated costs associated with coronavirus, with no additional cost to the taxpayers.”