News from the State House: ARPA Appropriations Bill

The Governor signed the Legislature’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) appropriations bill at the end of last year, to support the Commonwealth’s ongoing economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Bedford and Burlington were well represented in the benefits that were distributed from that federal funding.

The bill includes:

• $150,000 for the Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce to support programming and membership for local businesses ‘
• $100,000 for Burlington for the creation of a pocket park in the town center
• $100,000 for People Helping People, Inc. for the maintenance of a food pantry in Burlington
• $100,000 for air quality improvements to the Burlington Fire Department headquarters
• $100,000 for the Bedford Food Pantry
• $150,000 for the Burlington public school system to develop a pilot program, in partnership with local primary care practices, to deliver primary care health services to low-income children enrolled in public schools.
• $75,000 for the Bedford Chamber of Commerce to support local small business
• $75,000 to for the implementation of Bedford’s Racial Equity Municipal Action Plan (REMAP)
• $1 million for Boston MedFlight, based at Hanscom Field

The bill will also allocate $500 million toward payments from $500 to $2,000 for lower-income essential workers who stayed on the job in-person during the COVID-19 state of emergency. These payments are expected to be sent out this month. The bill also includes $500 million to replenish the Unemployment Trust Fund which will offset businesses’ contributions for unemployment programs and $200 million in tax relief for small business.