Federal relief funding for hospitals, public safety signed into law

Federal relief funding for hospitals, public safety signed into law

LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently signed into law a funding measure that uses federal and state resources to provide relief to hospitals and communities affected by flooding, while also dedicating funds to childcare programs and public safety.

“Much of this supplemental funding is from federal funds we are using to take care of some additional budget priorities for the current year,” said Sen. Rick Outman, R-Six Lakes. “Also included in the bill are emergency funds to help deal with the unexpected flood damage across the state.”

Senate Bill 27, which Outman supported, outlines nearly $385 million in spending, most of which comes from the federal government. Included in the supplemental funding is $160 million to help hospitals cover increased costs and reduced revenue resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, $100 million for long-term care facilities in the state and $105 million to increase reimbursement rates for childcare programs.

It also includes funds to clean up recent flood damage and provides a boost to the Secondary Road Patrol Program, which allows county sheriffs to assist local departments by patrolling less-traveled roads.

Outman pointed to the program as being especially helpful in the rural communities.

“I’ve spoken to officers from local departments across the 33rd District and they’ve said these extra patrols have helped take a major load off of their departments, allowing them to use resources elsewhere in the community,” Outman said. “This program has proven to be successful and has done a great job getting additional first responders out on the streets to keep everyone safe.”

The senator said the measure was another step forward for Michigan as the state continues to emerge from the pandemic.

“We’ve passed a number of relief bills to help people and businesses across the state deal with the lasting effects of COVID-19, as well as made major investments in education, roads, bridges and water quality,” Outman said. “This supplemental funding again helps move our state forward by providing more resources to medical and care facility staff, assisting those who are struggling with child care costs, addressing recent flood damage and getting more officers on our streets.”

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