A $912 million coronavirus relief bill is heading to Governor Tom Wolf’s desk after being approved by the state Senate.
A significant amount of money will go toward rental and utility assistance. There’s also $145 million set aside for the hospitality industry.
“A lot of the money that’s going to be issued through this Senate bill, will help our hospitality industry and their recover program,” Republican House Leader Kerry Benninghoff of Centre County said. “As we know they’ve been one of the most hardest hit industries and are in great need.”
Those grants for restaurants and bars could be as high as $50,000.
Local State Senator Joe Pittman (R-PA 41) says it was encouraging to see both parties come together to formalize a bill.
“It is worth pointing out that this is the very first bill to reach the Governor in this legislative session and should be signed into law as Act 1 of 2021. That clearly shows the importance of the measure and our efforts to bring relief to the people of Pennsylvania,” Senator Pittman said.
“While this was a contentious week in Harrisburg, it is good to see a bipartisan product being delivered to Pennsylvanians, one that not only addresses for negative impacts of COVID-19, but also provides important protections to ensure that federal stimulus support to our citizens is not subjected to taxation by the Commonwealth.”
There’s also $197 million set aside for education.