The CARES Act responds to the urgent needs of states like New Jersey, which has already spent billions battling the nation’s 2nd-highest number of COVID-19 cases. The state stabilization funds that Senator Menendez fought for will ensure New Jersey’s state and local governments are not bankrupted by the coronavirus battle.
How does the CARES Act help New Jersey communities?
New Jersey will receive $3.44 billion from the COVID state fund to help New Jersey and local communities continue essential services as resources are being diverted to address the economic slowdown and COVID-19 response.
The Coronavirus Relief Fund makes available $150 billion to States, Indian tribes, territories and units of local government for necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19. Eligible expenditures are those made between March 1, 2020, and December 30, 2020, and must not have been accounted for in the most recently approved budget. This funding is available directly to states and localities from Treasury and requires no state or local matching requirement. The Treasury Secretary has pledged to Leader Schumer that the funds will be deployed quickly and flexibly.
Funds are allocated proportionally based on state population. No state that is one of the 50 states will receive less than $1.25 billion. Localities with more than 500,000 people can apply directly to Treasury for their relative share by population (compared to the state’s total population) of 45 percent of the total allocated to a state.
Treasury will automatically award each state its share within 30 days. Qualifying localities, however, must apply to Treasury to access their share of state funds.
Treasury explained that because localities can apply directly to the Secretary, it would not be feasible administratively to have all local units of government of any size to directly access this funding. Localities of any size can still work with their State governments to access funding.