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Michigan Senate passes $465 million COVID relief bill

Michigan Capitol Building
Posted at 11:36 PM, Dec 18, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-18 23:36:06-05

(WXYZ) — The Michigan Senate has passed a $465 million supplemental budget bill designed to address the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill passed with bipartisan support 35 to 2.

According to a statement released by State Sen. Sean McCann, the pill would provide:

  • $51.3 million for health systems to ramp up the administration of COVID-19 vaccines
  • $22.5 million for continued support of COVID testing in vulnerable populations
  • $15 million for necessary supplies and equipment to support testing and vaccination efforts
  • $3.3 million to reimburse hospitals for housing and providing care for COVID-positive nursing home residents
  • $10 million for the Michigan Hospital Association to give grants to health systems to support their hiring of temporary staff
  • $55 million for small businesses that have sacrificed to protect public health
  • $3.5 million for independent venues whose stages have been dark since March

The bill needs to be voted on in the State House. If it passes there, it will be sent on to Governor Whitmer.

Additional Coronavirus information and resources:

View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.

See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.

Visit our The Rebound Detroit, a place where we are working to help people impacted financially from the coronavirus. We have all the information on everything available to help you through this crisis and how to access it.