Did the stimulus bill passed in March allow for increased police funding?
Thursday, July 1, 2021
By Gus Fisher
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
YES
The $1.9 trillion stimulus package enacted in March, 2021, provided $350 billion in new federal funding for state and local governments. Recently, amid signs of rising concern about crime and gun violence, the Biden administration has highlighted ways local governments can use the funds for policing and public safety.
The Treasury Department established spending rules for recipients of the funds—which includes all metropolitan cities—specifying that funds can be used for public safety and crime prevention to:
- re-hire police to restore staffing to “pre-pandemic levels.”
- in communities experiencing increasing violence, hire more law enforcement personnel “even above pre-pandemic levels.”
The funds can also be used for purposes including mental health services and housing assistance.
The legislation passed with no Republican support.
Sources
National League of Cities US Treasury guidance on using coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funds
Ballotpedia American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
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