State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks announced two new grant programs, providing $300 million to help first responders receive hazard pay and reimburse local governments for payroll costs incurred due to the pandemic. Effective immediately, eligible local units of government can apply for a grant from the First Responder Hazard Pay Premiums Program and the Public Safety and Public Health Payroll Reimbursement Program. Both grant programs use federal funding through the CARES Act, which was appropriated by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Whitmer.

The First Responder Hazard Pay Premiums Program offers $100 million to fund additional compensation for first responders. Eligible first responders performed hazardous duty or work involving physical hardship related to COVID-19. Under the program, cities, villages, townships, counties, public airport operators, and certain ambulance operators can be reimbursed up to $1,000 per eligible employee, with no single applicant receiving more than $5 million. Applications from qualifying units of government will be funded on a first-come, first-served basis.

The second grant program, the Public Safety and Public Health Payroll Reimbursement Program, makes available $200 million to reimburse cities, villages, townships, and counties for eligible public safety and public health payroll expenditures incurred from April 2020 to July 2020.  Cities, villages, townships, and counties can participate in the program if they have eligible public safety and public health payroll expenditures. This program will potentially have two application rounds. The first application round will be available for reimbursement of April and May 2020 eligible payroll expenditures. If funding is available after the first application round is completed, a second application round will be available for reimbursement of the June and July 2020 eligible payroll expenditures.

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