2022 -- S 2881

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LC005815

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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J O I N T   R E S O L U T I O N

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $5,000,000 FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN

ACT FUNDS TO THE CITY OF CENTRAL FALLS IN RECOGNITION OF THE

DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON CENTRAL FALLS

AND THE DISPROPORTIONATELY ARPA FUNDING TO THE CITY

     Introduced By: Senator Jonathon Acosta

     Date Introduced: April 14, 2022

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     WHEREAS, The funding provided under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

"provides a unique opportunity for state and local governments to make strategic investments in

long-lived assets, rebuild reserves to enhance financial stability, and cover temporary operating

shortfalls until economic conditions and operations normalize"; and

     WHEREAS, Central Falls was hit disproportionally hard by COVID and yet received

disproportionally less ARPA monies than lesser-hit municipalities because ARPA monies were

distributed by population, not by necessity; for example, while Central Falls had the #1 per-capita

rate of disease during the pandemic, eighteen cities and towns received more ARPA monies than

Central Falls; and

     WHEREAS, Central Falls consistently experienced the state’s highest rates of COVID-19

infection and hospitalization, leaving countless families, many of whom are or consist of

immigrant and/or low-income households, scrambling for help, and the city’s small businesses

struggling to stay afloat; and

     WHEREAS, While the American Rescue Plan Act was designed to spark a strong

economic comeback, funds earmarked for Central Falls were determined without regard to the

unique challenges presented by the City’s density, levels of infection, economic fallout, or other

hurdles faced by the City’s marginalized community; and

     WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts faced a similar problem with the

small municipalities of Chelsea, Everett, Methuen and Randolph and, in order to “right this

wrong,” Governor Baker chose to apportion $109 million in State ARPA monies directly to these

municipalities stating that, “These four communities were disproportionately impacted by the

virus, and this additional funding will support critical local COVID response and recovery

efforts”; and

     WHEREAS, It is vitally necessary to also “right this wrong” in Central Falls and

appropriate the funds necessary to combat threats to the public health including, but not limited

to, pandemic relief, public health outreach, the development of affordable housing, behavioral

health supports, substance abuse support and resources for domestic violence; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That there is hereby appropriated, out of any money from the American

Rescue Plan Act in the treasury not otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year 2022-2023, the sum

of five million dollars ($5,000,000) to the City of Central Falls for recovery from the COVID-19

pandemic; and the state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw his orders upon the

general treasurer for the payment of said sum, or so much thereof as may be from time to time

required, upon receipt of properly authenticated vouchers.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

J O I N T   R E S O L U T I O N

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $5,000,000 FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN

ACT FUNDS TO THE CITY OF CENTRAL FALLS IN RECOGNITION OF THE

DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON CENTRAL FALLS

AND THE DISPROPORTIONATELY ARPA FUNDING TO THE CITY

***

     This joint resolution would authorize the appropriation of the sum of $5,000,000 to the

City of Central Falls for relief in combating pandemic threats to the City's public health.

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