LOC News
E-Board Authorizes CARES Act Funding
The legislative Joint Emergency Board met remotely this week to consider funding for a wide range of COVID-19 relief efforts, including additional resources for business assistance, Black community and business relief, sick leave, and unemployment relief. View the recording of the hearing, and read more on the adopted recommendations. The E-Board allocated more than $200 million from the federal CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund, and the following summaries provide highlights from the committee’s documents.
Business Assistance
Business Oregon received $5 million to supplement the local government match program for business assistance funds (which was oversubscribed in the prior rounds) and $17.5 million to supplement their programs with community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and economic development districts (EDDs). Program criteria for both programs was changed slightly, and awards will now be up to $50,000. Businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) assistance from the Small Business Association may now qualify, though any award will be reduced by what was received in federal assistance.
The Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS) received $24 million for designated grants to arts organizations, cultural and community venues, and community colleges, including: $4,710,000 to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; $4,100,000 to Metro; $1,750,000 to the Oregon Symphony; $875,000 each to the Portland Opera and Portland Center Stage; $700,000 to the High Desert Museum; $630,000 to the Oregon Ballet Theatre; $375,000 to the Pendleton Roundup; and $320,000 to Oregon Coast Community College, which had missed prior funding as it awaited certification. Another $9,680,128 will be distributed to independent venues based on a defined list. An additional $26 million will be distributed through Business Oregon for grants to music, culture, and community venues and organizations that do not receive grants directly from DAS. The Oregon Cultural Trust will allocate and distribute these funds to county and tribal cultural coalitions by formula, for distribution to local cultural organizations and venues, or directly to recipients if coalitions are unable to distribute funds.
An additional $2.5 million from the CRF will be distributed directly by DAS to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) for support to the fisheries industry.
Black Community and Business Relief and Resiliency
The E-Board Board dedicated $62 million to assist economic relief to Black individuals and businesses; the Black United Fund will take the lead on grants to individuals and families, and The Contingent, an organization with pre-existing state contract relationships, will take the lead on grants to businesses. The conversation on this topic was rather heated at times and focused on a Legislative Counsel opinion that indicated constitutional issues with targeted relief without meeting certain hurdles.
Economic Support for Individuals
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) received $30 million to establish a Quarantine Time Loss program, providing sick leave to certain workers that were not extended sick leave benefits under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA). This includes workers at companies with 500 or more employees, health care workers at hospitals, and first responders. Qualified program beneficiaries would receive a flat, per-day payment of $120 for each day of quarantine that the employee would otherwise be scheduled to work.
DAS received another $35 million to stand up a program to provide $500 in one-time relief to the 70,000 or so individuals who are still waiting on the Oregon Employment Department to process their claims, mostly contract or gig workers. The one-time payment would not be linked to any future benefit, and would not need to be repaid unless the application is found to be fraudulent.
Other Expenditures
In addition to the above CRF expenditures, there was additional limitation extended so the secretary of state may make use of $2.5 million in federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds already received by the Oregon Elections Division.
Finally, $3,580,000 in general funds was allocated for infrastructure improvements to the Warm Springs Indian Reservation water and wastewater systems. This was originally to be funded through lottery bonds, but those revenues have been coming up short, resulting in a planned bond package being pulled and many projects losing funding.
Contact: Mark Gharst, Lobbyist – mgharst@orcities.org
Last Updated 7/17/20