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Gov. David Ige is holding a press conference today to discuss Hawaii’s American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The state was initially awarded $386 million in federal ARPA funds to combat the public health and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A first tranche of $193 million was received last June.
Last week, the city sought input from the public on how to spend the federal money.
During the conference, Ige said the state was able to appropriate $1.6 billion in ARPA funds. A non-exhaustive list of programs and services to benefit from the disbursement include:
>> $800 million for unemployment insurance
>> $70 million for an unemployment insurance call and adjudication center
>> $84 million to Emergency Medical Services and injury prevention
>> $60 million to Hawaii Tourism Authority
>> $48 million to Hawaii Department of Public Safety
>> $41 million to Safe Travels Hawaii
>> $32 million to Hawaii Health Systems Corporation
>> $28 million to University of Hawaii system
>> $16 million to Hawaii Health Systems Oahu region
>> $11 million to Maui Health system hospital subsidy
>> $11 million for Convention Center operations
>> $10.8 million for homeless services
>> $10 million for COVID-19 test kits
>> $8 million to State Department of Health, COVID-related administrative costs
>> $2.9 million to Wahiawa Hospital
>> $2.7 million to modernize Hawaii’s financial system
>> $1.5 million for broadband infrastructure planning
>> $1.5 million for senior centers
>> $1.3 million for family health services
>> $1.3 million for financial need scholarships (Hawaii Promise Program)
Ige expects funds will continue to arrive throughout 2022 via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other initiatives.
The governor also fielded questions regarding the state’s coronavirus response.
Editor’s Note: This story is developing and will be updated as soon as more information becomes available.
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