_____________ bill NO. _____________

INTRODUCED BY _________________________________________________

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE AMERICAN REscue plan act; PROVIDING APPROPRIATIONS OF FEDERAL FUNDS AND OTHER FUNDS AVAILABLE BECAUSE OF THE RECEIPT OF FEDERAL FUNDS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2021; ALLOWING APPROPRIATIONS TO CONTINUE INTO THE 2023 BIENNIUM; providing conditions and restrictions on the use of funds; and PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

NEW SECTION. Section 1. Appropriations. There are federal special revenue funds appropriated to the agencies listed below for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020. Appropriation authority is intended to be allocated to the following items. Appropriations are authorized to continue in the 2023 biennium.

SECTION A

Governor's Office                                 

                                                $17.0 million                 [Governor's Education Relief Fund]

Department of Commerce         

                                                $300 million                  [Emergency Rental/Mortgage Assistance]

Department of Labor and Industry

                                                $5 million                      [Unemployment Insurance - Administration]

                                                $100,000                      [Unemployment Insurance - Fraud                                                                                                   Prevention]

SECTION B

Department of Public Health and Human Services

                                                $225 million                  [Vaccine, Testing, Tracing, and Mitigation]

                                                $111 million                  [Child Care and Development Block Grant]

                                                $22.5 million                 [LIHEAP]

                                                $3.6 million                   [Head Start]

                                                $10.5 million                 [SNAP, WIC, other nutrition]

                                                $100,000                      [Mental Health, Substance Abuse]

                                                $100,000                      [Violence Prevention, Child Abuse Prevention]

SECTION E

Office of Public Instruction

                                                $404.2 million               [Education Stabilization Fund]

Commissioner of Higher Education                                                        

                                                $94.404 million             [Higher Education Emergency Relief]

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Appropriation for allocations to local governments. (1) There is appropriated $409,233,237 from federal special revenue funds to the governor's office for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020, to allocate to local governments for the following purposes:

(a) to respond to or mitigate the public health emergency with respect to covid-19 or its negative economic impacts;

(b) to cover costs incurred as a result of the emergency;

(c) to replace revenue that was lost, delayed, or decreased as a result of the emergency; or

(d) to address the negative economic impacts of the emergency.

(2) Appropriations are authorized to continue in the 2023 biennium.

NEW SECTION. Section 3. Appropriation. (1) There is appropriated $491,000,000 from federal special revenue funds to the governor's office for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020, for the following purposes:

(a) to respond to or mitigate the public health emergency with respect to covid-19 or its negative economic impacts;

(b) to cover costs incurred as a result of the emergency;

(c) to replace revenue to the state that was lost, delayed, or decreased as a result of the emergency; or

(d) to address the negative economic impacts of the emergency.

(2) Appropriations are authorized to continue in the 2023 biennium.

NEW SECTION. Section 4. Authorization to modify appropriations and authorizations. The governor's office is authorized to modify appropriations and authorizations as required to comply with federal law and guidance issued by the federal agencies.

NEW SECTION. Section 5. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.