ARPA Flexibility Re-Emerges in $10B COVID Deal, Districts Support

April 5, 2022 | Cole Karr

A bipartisan Senate deal to reallocate $10 billion in unused COVID relief and recovery funds to COVID therapies and research also includes key elements of existing legislation offering greater flexibility on use of ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.

Senator Mitt Romney, R-Utah, announced Monday the Bipartisan COVID Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022, which includes the primary elements of the NSDC-supported State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act, which NSDC strongly supports. This legislation originated in the Senate as S. 3011 (Cornyn) and passed unanimously on October 19, 2021. The House version, H.R. 5735 (Johnson) has received the bipartisan cosponsorship of 154 House members.

NSDC sent Tuesday a letter to Senate leadership urging the expeditious action on the legislation.

The repurposed dollars for research and development of COVID therapeutics are neither sourced from programs the nation’s special districts could generally access via direct allocations nor request for transfers.

Contact Cole Karr, NSDC Federal Advocacy Coordinator, or more information.

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