June 25, 2020 – (BOSTON) – State Representative Frank A. Moran (D – Lawrence, Andover, and Methuen) joined his colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass a $1.1 billion supplemental budget to bolster the Commonwealth’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This supplemental budget includes $350 million for personal protective equipment (PPE), $85 million for field hospitals and shelters, $44 million for community contact tracing, $36 million for emergency childcare for essential workers, and $2 million to have continued COVID-19 testing for nursing home residents and staff.
State Representative Moran secured $950,000 for the communities of the 17th Essex District through three amendments filed to House Bill 4802, An Act making appropriations for the fiscal year 2020 to authorize certain COVID-19 spending in anticipation of federal reimbursement.
The amendments filed by Representative Moran provide $600,000 for the City of Lawrence to expand its rapid rehousing and housing stabilization efforts to assist families who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic and its economic impact, $300,000 for the Town of Andover to provide adequate and appropriate accommodations to operate and hold public meetings in a manner that is consistent with the safety protocols necessary to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and $50,000 for International Veteran Care Services in the City of Lawrence to mitigate food insecurity and provide housing relief to members of the veteran community who have been financially impacted by COVID-19.
“This legislation provides critical funding to protect our frontline workers, expand medical access, enhance our ability to track and test those who may have been exposed to COVID-19, and address the individual needs of our communities,” said State Representative Frank A. Moran. “I was proud to file three amendments to this supplemental budget to increase our community’s capacity to provide essential services to those who have been adversely impacted by this pandemic and will continue working with my colleagues to guide us all through these unprecedented times.”
