Gov. Tom Wolf recently instructed that $145 million be transferred from the Workers’ Compensation Security Fund at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department to the general fund to establish a grant program for businesses adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Legislative authorization is required to establish grant agreements. Wolf urged the legislature to allocate the funding quickly.
“Business owners and employees have worked hard to protect their customers and their communities during this pandemic, and I thank all of those who have prioritized health and safety despite the hardship of the past several months,” Wolf said. “Our business owners and workers have been forced to make sacrifices because of COVID-19, and they need and deserve our support.”
Among those hardest hit by the pandemic are entertainment venues, gyms, and bars and restaurants.
Since March, the Wolf Administration has provided more than $525 million in relief to businesses and nonprofit organizations.
This funding includes $60 million in loans through the COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program, $192 million in grants through the COVID-19 Small Business Assistance Grant Program, $20 million through the COVID-19 Cultural and Museum Preservation grant program; $50 million in hazard pay grants, and $220 million in CARES Act Child Care Development Funds.