Governor Inslee Signs Bill to Allocate 2.2 Billion Dollars of Covid-19 Relief Runding

OLYMPIA, Wash.- Help is on the way to Washington residents, now that Governor Jay Inslee has signed House Bill 1368, which designates which organizations will immediately receive money from the federal government emergency relief funding.

Senator Kristine Rolfes spoke at the bill signing Friday morning, "We're getting the money out right now, instead of waiting until May. This is going to provide a critical link for landlords and renters, for preventing homelessness, and making sure the department of health has the resources it needs right now, to effectively and efficiently get those vaccines out throughout the state, and while continuing the contact tracing and testing we know we need to do."

The bill provides: 

• $714 million in assistance for K-12 schools
• $618 million for public health’s response to COVID, including testing, investigation and contact tracing; and funding for vaccination efforts
• $365 million for emergency eviction, rental and utility assistance
• $240 million for business assistance grants
• $50 million for child care
• $26 million for food banks and other food programs 
• $91 million for income assistance, including $65 million for relief for the state’s immigrant population