COVID 19 – County Relief Block Grant Program

COVID 19 – County Relief Block Grant Program Guidelines Contact Us Overview Under the provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, 2020 Enacted H.R. 748, 116 Enacted H.R. 748, the “CARES Act”), the U.S. Department of the Treasury is authorized to transfer funds to the Commonwealth to cover costs of the Commonwealth that: are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); “were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of the date of enactment of this section for the State or government; and “were incurred during the period that begins on March 1, 2020, and ends on December 30, 2020. Uses Offsetting the cost of direct county response, planning & outreach efforts related to COVID-19. Small Business Grant Programs to support businesses with fewer than 100 employees & to support businesses and other entities that are primarily engaged in the tourism industry. Grant programs to support the following entities for costs related to assisting businesses during the COVID-19 Disaster Emergency: CEDOs, LDDs, IRCs, SBDCs, EDCs. Assistance to cities, boroughs, incorporated towns or townships located within eligible counties for response and planning efforts related to COVID-19. Behavioral Health & Substance use disorder treatment services. Nonprofit assistance programs for entities that are an exempt organizations under section 501(C)(3) OR 501(C)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Broadband internet deployment with priority given to unserved or underserved areas. Eligibility Only county governments, those not directly funded by the Federal Government, are eligible to receive the COVID-19 County Block Grant Program funding through the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). Note: There are 60 out of 67 PA counties that meet this criteria. Funding Minimum Distribution – No county shall receive a distribution of less than