Richardson Announces $1 Billion in Pandemic Relief Approved by House Committee

COLUMBUS – Legislation providing $857 million in federal funding to Ohio’s public, private, and vocational schools for COVID-19 pandemic-related expenses has unanimously passed the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee, announced State Rep. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville).

“Ohio’s students, teachers, and parents have all faced significant hurdles during the course of the pandemic,” said Richardson. “We owe it to our children and to the next generation to swiftly pass this legislation in order to provide some relief and stability to Ohio’s classrooms.”

The measure, House Bill 170, provides the following funding through Elementary and Secondary School Relief (ESSER I), ESSER II, and Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER I), and GEER II funds:

• $683 million for public schools
• $154.8 million for private schools
• $19 million for Educational Service Centers, Joint Vocational Schools, and Ohio’s County Boards of Developmental Disabilities
• $173 million for the Ohio Department of Health for COVID-19 testing and vaccine distribution efforts
• $8 million for the Adjutant General to support the Ohio National Guard response  

“These dollars have been awarded and their allocation decided by the federal government, it is the Ohio Legislature’s responsibility to appropriate them so they can be used to support Ohio schools,” added Richardson.

H.B. 170 now awaits further action from the House of Representatives.