Durbin, Duckworth Announce $4.9 Billion In State And Local COVID-19 Funding For Illinois

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Illinois will receive $4.9 billion in state and local stabilization funds from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help offset the significant increased costs that state and local governments are facing from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m glad the Senate was able to come together on a bipartisan basis to pass the CARES Act, which among its many purposes, will provide funding to help our state and local governments on the frontlines of the pandemic,” Durbin said. “But more funding is needed for Illinois and its localities, who are suffering from a significant loss in tax revenue. Senator Duckworth and I will continue to ensure that communities from every corner of our state will receive much-needed relief.”

“The funding authorized by the bipartisan CARES Act stimulus is a good first step in helping state and local governments across Illinois that are hardest hit by this public health and economic crisis,” Duckworth said. “I’ll keep working with Senator Durbin to ensure more federal resources are allocated to help Illinoisans during this pandemic.”

The CARES Act’s Coronavirus Relief Fund allows state and local governments with more than 500,000 residents to apply directly to the Treasury Department for cash infusions. The following Illinois governments will receive funding: the City of Chicago and Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, Will Counties. All other localities can access these funds through the state.

Senate Democrats have proposed additional funding for state and local governments in the next relief bill, with funding directed to more localities and increased flexibility so localities can use funds to replace the significant loss in revenue they are facing as a result of the pandemic.

The CARES Act requires that the payments from the Coronavirus Relief Fund only be used to cover expenses that:

(1) are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic;

(2) were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020 (the date of enactment of the CARES Act) for the State or government; and

(3) were incurred during the period that begins on March 1, 2020, and ends on December 30, 2020.

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