COVID-19 Information

COVID-19 APPROPRIATIONS: The fiscal year 2021 budget (Public Act 101-0637) authorizes spending for an estimated $5.5 billion in federal CARES Act funding for the state’s response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. This includes the $3.5 billion received by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency in April that was reallocated to various state agencies from the newly created State Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency (CURE) fund for fiscal year 2021. These appropriations are for assistance and programs including: contact tracing and testing; affordable housing assistance for the state, counties and disproportionately impacted areas; Business Interruption Grant (BIG) Program; preparedness support; emergency and education relief; ambulance and medical assistance providers for the state and counties; federal qualified health centers for the state, counties and disproportionately impacted areas; specialized mental health facilities; not-for-profits support; local governments (including public health departments) and continued emergency response funding. Another $2.0 billion in federal funds is anticipated to be awarded directly to various state agencies for COVID-19 relief purposes, including the State Board of Education, State Board of Elections, Criminal Justice Development Authority, Department on Aging, and the departments of Public Health, Human Services, Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Employment Security and Transportation.

While this listing does not include an estimated $1.4 billion in direct federal relief to large units of local governments in Illinois, it does include a $250 million appropriation from the Local Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency (CURE) fund for grants and expense reimbursements to local governments (including local certified public health departments) for the 97 counties that did not receive a direct allocation from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund. Moreover, this does not include federal CARES funds that are sent directly to local transit authorities, higher education institutions, hospitals or nursing homes.

COVID-19 December 2020 Federal Bill: Congress enacted another COVID-19 federal relief bill that provides an additional $5.9 billion to Illinois. This includes approximately $3.1 billion for K-12 schools and higher education, $850 million in Emergency Rental Assistance, $350 million in Child Care grants, $600 million in public health support for testing, tracing, and vaccine administration, and $1 billion in transportation assistance. Also, federal action extended the obligation deadline for state and local relief funding that was provided last spring to December 31, 2021.

Federal Stimulus/Relief March 2021 Federal Bill: Congress enacted yet another COVID-19 federal relief bill in March 2021 entitled the "American Rescue Plan," which provides $1.9 trillion in economic and public health safety funds for programs such as for vaccine distribution and testing for health centers and their workforces as well as funding for hospitals and mental health treatment programs. Eligible Illinois citizens will receive continued supplemental unemployment insurance payments as well as direct payments. Elementary and high schools, higher education, Head Start Programs and childcare providers will also receive around $7.6 billion with another $13.7 billion earmarked to State and local governments to make up for budget shortfalls due to the pandemic, including $1.8 billion for Chicago. It is anticipated that all federal disbursements under the American Rescue Plan will go directly to the respective entities outside of state government, except for the $8.1 billion for state relief and the $2.6 billion for relief to non-entitlement units of local government. An additional $254 million is expected to come to the State from the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund.

FY 22 Illinois Legislature Approved Spending: On July 22, 2021, Illinois received $8.127 billion from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSFRF) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and another $254 million for capital projects to fight the pandemic. The legislature originally appropriated $2.8 billion for FY22 ($1.8 billion for Operating Budget Appropriations and $1 billion for Capital Appropriations). In the Spring, 2022 the legislature appropriated the remaining amount by allocating $2.7 billion to make a partial payment toward the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund debt, $1.5 billion allocation for government services under the federal revenue replacement guidance, and $1.3 billion in additional operations and grants.

For additional details, go to the Governor's Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) COVID-19 legislative monthly update at https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/budget.

Note: The expenditures in the following report are obtained from vouchers submitted to the IOC for payment. If an agency fails to earmark a voucher with the COVID tags, it will not be picked up in the program. From time to time, you may see additions to previous days' totals if the IOC is notified of expenditures that were not marked and need to be included in the data.