We are finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and the American Rescue Plan is going to help us finally kill COVID-19 and start rebuilding our economy. This COVID relief package will deliver at least $4 billion of vital assistance for West Virginia to rebuild from the health and economic crises that we’ve weathered in the past year.

$678 million in funding will go directly to West Virginia's cities and counties, to be administered by local governments. In addition to coronavirus-related expenses, Senator Manchin worked to ensure that this direct funding can be used for infrastructure projects - including water, sewer, and broadband internet projects.

This is the first time that cities and counties will get direct relief funding from the federal government. This historic investment will allow our communities to reinvest in critical services like police, fire and EMS which have been so critical during the pandemic, and take on critical infrastructure projects that will create jobs and improve West Virginians' quality of life.

The American Rescue Plan will bring...

• INDIVIDUAL AID: $1,400 stimulus checks to most West Virginians; child tax credits; Earned Income Tax Credit; health insurance assistance; student loan assistance; and unemployment through Sept. 6
• SMALL BUSINESS AID: Reauthorization of PPP, EIDL, shuttered venue and restaurant assistance. Previously, WV small businesses received over $1 billion in direct aid.
• BROADBAND: $138 million in funding for broadband and $2 million for hotspots
• LOCAL: $679 million in funding for cities and 55 counties, to be administered by local governments
• STATE: $1.355 billion in funding for WV state government, to be administered by the Governor and legislature
• VACCINES: $11 million to WV in supplemental vaccine funding and on increasing vaccine doses
• EDUCATION: $800 million for WV pre-K through 12th grade; $190 million for WV colleges and universities
• CHILD CARE: $260 million for WV child care and $10 million for WV Head Start
• SENIORS: $9 million for WV senior programs
• HOUSING: $152 million for emergency rental assistance in WV and $38.5 million for LIHEAP
• TRANSPORTATION: $8 million for WV airports; $24 million for WV transit systems
• VETERANS: Approximately $2.2 million for Veterans nursing homes
• HOSPITALS AND RURAL HEALTH: Millions in direct funding to help WV hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, health departments, home health, and long-term care
• DRUG PREVENTION: Millions in direct funding to WV through the Substance Abuse Prevention and Health Service Administration
• FOOD ASSISTANCE: Direct funding to our most vulnerable West Virginians through federal programs
• FIREFIGHTERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS: The Assistance to Firefighters and SAFER grant programs will receive additional allocations of $100 million and $200 million respectively; Firefighters and First Responders are also eligible for support under state and local government funds

To learn more about how the American Rescue Plan will benefit West Virginians, read Senator Manchin's summary here:

American Rescue Plan Information for West Virginians (PDF)

Click on a city or county on the map below to see the estimated amount of direct funding that will be received through the American Rescue Plan:

TIMING – To the extent practicable, each metropolitan city and each county shall receive their first payment directly from the U.S. Treasury not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of American Rescue Plan (May 10, 2021). Smaller cities and towns (aka non-entitlement units of local government) should receive their funding through the State no later than 30 days after that date. All of these communities will be eligible to receive their second payment 12 months later.

USE OF FUNDS – All units of local government receiving funding shall only use the funds provided to cover costs incurred by December 31, 2024 to do the following activities. They may not deposit any of the funds into any pension fund.

“(A) to respond to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) or its negative economic impacts, including assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits, or aid to impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality;

(B) to respond to workers performing essential work during the COVID–19 public health emergency by providing premium pay to eligible workers of the metropolitan city, nonentitlement unit of local government, or county that are performing such essential work, or by providing grants to eligible employers that have eligible workers who perform essential work;

(C) for the provision of government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue of such metropolitan city, nonentitlement unit of local government, or county due to the COVID–19 public health emergency relative to revenues collected in the most recent full fiscal year of the metropolitan city, nonentitlement unit of local government, or county prior to the emergency; or

(D) to make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure.”

FUNDING FORMULA – This funding will be allocated based on population. Smaller cities and towns (aka nonentitlement units of local government) are also subject to a cap of 75% of the most recent budget as of January 27, 2020.

ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE –  The U.S. Treasury has released final guidance (PDF), a Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) document, and a Fact Sheet (PDF) on Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Funds. Counties and metropolitan cities must apply for Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds through the U.S. Treasury's Treasury Submission Portal: https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-fund/request-funding 

Non-entitlement units should not request Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds through the Treasury Submission Portal. While local governments designated as non-entitlement units are eligible to receive Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, as provided in the American Rescue Plan Act, they will receive this funding from their applicable state government.

Below is a list of estimated direct funding that each West Virginia city and county will receive through the American Rescue Plan:

State Government

$1.355 billion

Metro Cities

Note: Estimates use FY2020 HUD data to identify populations eligible for assistance, and may not include localities that relinquished their CDBG allocation in that year. Funding to localities on this list would be reduced to the extent that such cities apply for and receive funding as a metro city under this proposal.

Counties

Note: CDBG urban county adjustments use FY2020 HUD data to identify populations eligible for assistance, and may not include localities that relinquished their CDBG allocation in that year. County funding would be slightly altered to the extent that such cities apply for and receive funding as a metro city under this proposal.

Municipalities

***PLEASE NOTE: Estimates use 2019 Census data to identify populations eligible for assistance, and do not include villages or other sublocal entities that may also qualify for funding. Projected amounts may be distributed to more nonentitlement governments than are listed in the breakdown to the extent that eligible nonentitlement governments have overlapping populations (for example, residents of a village government and town government in New York). What this means is that village AND town governments will be receiving a direct allocation of federal assistance, as intended by the legislation, but village amounts are not included because of the complications of calculating those amounts until a process is put in place to divvy up funds between overlapping governments. The town amount listed in the breakdown does capture the village amount, as the town dollar amount reflects the entire population of the town, which will include the village(s). Identification of eligible governments and distribution of assistance across units with overlapping populations may reflect decisions made by the Department of Treasury and state governments.

Health Centers

Funding for West Virginia Rural Health Providers From the American Rescue Plan Includes:

• $8.5 billion for Provider Relief Fund to support rural health providers, including hospitals, clinics, health centers, home health, and long-term care centers
• $7.6 billion for Community Health Centers for vaccine administration and distribution, testing, tracing, equipment and supplies, workforce, and infrastructure needs
• $7.6 billion for grant awards to State, local, and territorial public health departments to establish and expand public health workforce
• $500 million for rural healthcare grants to create an emergency pilot program to increase vaccine capacity and distribution
• $1.4 billion for various programs to strengthen the healthcare workforce education programs and retention

Individual awards listed below:

• $11,142,750 – Valley Health Systems
• $6,762,500 –Community Care of West Virginia
• $6,477,250 – Community Health Systems
• $5,355,375 – Shenandoah Valley Medical System
• $5,147,375 – Womencare Inc.
• $3,480,750 – Cabin Creek Health Systems
• $3,431,250 – New River Health Association
• $3,123,625 – Lincoln County Primary Care Center
• $2,902,000 – Change, Incorporated
• $2,843,250 – Bluestone Health Association
• $2,664,625 – Wirt County Health Service Association
• $2,527,750 – Rainelle Medical Center
• $2,413,375 – Minnie Hamilton Health Care Center
• $2,314,500 – E.A. Hawse Health Center
• $2,181,375 – Camden-On-Gauley Medical Center
• $2,050,500 – Belington Community Medical Services Association
• $2,030,875 – Monroe County Health Department
• $2,026,375 – Monongahela Valley Association of Health Centers
• $1,811,625 – Valley Health Care
• $1,756,750 – Ritchie County Primary Care Association
• $1,745,625 – Preston Taylor Community Health Center
• $1,676,250 – Williamson Health & Wellness Center
• $1,297,875 – Tug River Health Association
• $1,285,875 –St. George Medical Clinic
• $1,281,500 – Pendleton Community Care
• $1,278,875 – Roane Family Health Care
• $1,190,250 – Clay-Battelle Health Services Association
• $642,000 – Mountaineer Community Health Center

American Rescue PlanAct Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Confidence (RHCVC) Program

The RHCVC Program is a Health Resources and ServicesAdministration (HRSA) initiative to improve vaccine confidence, counter vaccinehesitancy, and help with access to vaccination in rural communities that aremedically underserved and/or experiencing low COVID-19 vaccination rates. Thisprogram will allow Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) to use funding for a broad rangeof efforts to improve health care in rural areas and reinforce basic messagesabout prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and other infectiousdiseases.  HRSA anticipates approximately $100 million to beavailable to award grants to all eligible RHCs that submit an acceptable andfundable application.  The period of performance for these grants is oneyear, July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.  Applications are due June 23,2021.

A link to the funding opportunity on Grants.gov can be foundhere: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=333783