KENTUCKY OFFICIAL DECIDE ON USE OF FEDERAL MONEY FROM PANDEMIC

Won final approval Thursday.

                                                                                    (Kentucky Today)

Legislation dealing with Kentucky’s share of federal American Rescue Plan Act money won final approval Thursday.

Provisions of Senate Bill 3, sponsored by Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, directs the use of $69,268,300 in ARPA funds during the state’s current fiscal year to address the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting pressures that have been experienced in the healthcare, long-term care, and school systems.

That includes:

--Testing for COVID-19, including assisting hospitals, licensed health care providers, jails, prisons, homeless shelters, local health departments and other entities in acquiring and distributing sufficient COVID-19 tests.

--Assisting providers of established monoclonal antibody treatment and 16 assisting additional providers in establishing monoclonal treatment centers, with the goal of having at least one qualified treatment center available in each of the 15 area development districts. 

--Providing for "Test and Stay" COVID-19 testing at schools to ensure students are able to continue attending school in person instead of entering quarantine when those students have no symptoms and continue to have a negative COVID-19 test.

In addition, $505,731,700 will go to replenish the state’s unemployment system.

The House approved replacing their bill with SB 3, since it had identical language.  It received final passage in the House, 84-8, and now heads to the governor.