Ohio Senate Passes $300M COVID Relief Bill

COLUMBUS – The Ohio Senate Wednesday unanimously passed a bill providing an additional $300 million in combined state and federal funding to businesses and other entities for pandemic-related expenses.

Senate Bill 109 was sponsored by state Sens. Michael Rulli, R-Salem, and Nathan Manning, R-North Ridgeville.

Rulli said the measure “will ensure our businesses, who have greatly suffered this year, have all the available resources to recover in a timely fashion.”

The bill will now be sent to the Ohio House of Representatives for further consideration.

Here is how the $300 million will be allocated:

• $20 million for indoor entertainment businesses that lost revenue due to canceled events and closures.
• $10 million for new businesses that opened their doors after Jan. 1.
• $150 million for small businesses that have already been approved for aid but have yet to receive it due to lack of program funding.
• $112.2 million to reimburse child care providers for pandemic-related expenses.
• $8.7 million for Ohio’s two veterans’ homes.
• $4.7 million for Ohio’s county and independent fairs.

To date, over $2.5 billion in funding has been approved by the General Assembly to help the state’s economic recovery from the pandemic.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.