In action Monday, March 16, local Assemblyman Heath Flora, R-Ripon, voted in support of two funding bills that provide $500 million and authority for up to $1 billion to the State to address various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Today is unprecedented for many reasons but as a Legislature we came together and agreed on an immediate funding package to address this quickly spreading pandemic,” said Flora. “The Assembly, Senate, and the Governor recognize the extreme nature of this situation and the need to prepare our communities for what’s still to come.”

Summaries of the funding bills can be found below; the bill numbers and language are identical in both the Assembly and the Senate.

AB/SB 89: Provides $500 million and authority for total expenditures up to $1 billion to the State to address various aspects of the COVID-19 crisis. States intent of the Legislature to direct the Administration work with the Legislature, legislative staff, and stakeholders when determining expenditures for the 20-21 Budget regarding economic hardship mitigations for COVID-19.

AB/SB 117: Appropriates General Fund resources, authorizes continued apportionment and grant funding based on alternate attendance calculations for local educational agencies (LEAs) and after school programs, and makes various changes to existing law to alleviate specified instructional, assessment, and reporting responsibilities for Pre-K-12 Education and Child Care. Provides funding for schools related to the COVID-19 outbreak and declared state of emergency pursuant to Executive Order N-26-20.

Assemblyman Flora represents the 12th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Denair, Empire, Escalon, Farmington, Hickman, Hughson, Keyes, Lathrop, Linden, Lockeford, Manteca, Modesto, Oakdale, Ripon, Riverbank, Salida, Turlock, Victor, and Waterford.