(The Center Square) – A report detailing how Maryland spent American Rescue Plan Act dollars has been transmitted to the U.S. Treasury.
Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, serving out the final months of his second term in office, says the report details where the state spent ARPA funds from March 3, 2021, through June 30; it includes planned appropriations for the fiscal year 2023.
"The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the worst economic collapse since the Great Recession and caused hardship for people all across our state and nation," Hogan said in a release. "By utilizing these resources to supplement our aggressive economic relief measures, our state has led one of the strongest health and economic recoveries in America."
The state, according to the release, installed economic relief measures, including the RELIEF Act. It provided tax relief combined with economic stimuli for residents, small businesses, and others who were out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the release, relief initiatives were created that aided workers, renters, restaurants, farmers, small businesses, nonprofit groups, entertainment venues, and tourism agencies.
Hogan, along with Senate President Bill Fergusons, D-Baltimore County, and House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, D-Baltimore County, formulated a bipartisan plan in March 2021, according to the release, to spend federal dollars through ARPA. Expenditures were used to help the state recover from the pandemic.
The state, according to the release, invested in the Vaccine Equity Task Force through the Maryland Health Equity Resource Act in order to utilize grant funding to address health disparities, improve health outcomes, expand access to primary care and prevention services, and reduce costs.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funding was increased to support 57,000 during the pandemic, up from 25,000 pre-pandemic, in order to meet caseload demand, which featured a $100 per month increase for Temporary Cash Assistance and Temporary Disability Assistance. Funding, according to the release, was also used to help customers with most electric and gas utility bills.
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