The Ohio House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that provides an additional $300 million in COVID-19 relief for businesses and other entities in the state, including $180 million in relief for small businesses.
The bill passed the House on Wednesday 93-2. The two dissenting representatives were Reps. Darrell Kick (R-70-Loudonville) and A. Nino Vitale (R-85-Champaign).
Of the $300 million allotted by the bill, $180 million will be dedicated for small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. This includes $20 million for indoor entertainment businesses, $10 million for businesses that opened after January 1, 2020, and $150 million for businesses that have been approved for aid but have yet to receive funding due to funding shortages.
The bill also allocates $4.7 million for Ohio county and independent fairs, $3.7 million for the state’s two veterans’ homes and $112.2 million to reimburse child care providers for expenses related to the pandemic.
The relief bill passed the Senate unanimously in March
“This pandemic relief bill is vitally important to ensuring our small businesses receive much needed relief as quickly as possible,” said state Sen. Nathan Manning (R-13-North Ridgeville), a sponsor of the bill, in a statement at the time.
The sentiment was echoed by Rep. Michael Rulli (R-33-Salem), another sponsor of the bill.
“I am proud to sponsor this important bill, which will ensure our businesses, who have greatly suffered this year, have all the available resources to recover in a timely fashion,” Rulli said in a statement following the passage of the bill in the Senate.
Read the bill here.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Ohio Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair.
Photo “Ohio Capitol” by Mj. CC BY-SA 4.0.
