Ohio to invest $5.8 billion in caregiving, education, health care

Jan. 24—State Rep. Daniel Troy, D-Willowick, recently announced that House Bill 45 has been signed into law.

The bill, he noted, will allocate $5.8 billion in mostly federal COVID relief funding to support education, improve mental health care infrastructure and strengthen caregiving networks across the state.

According to Troy, HB 45 accomplishes a legislative priority of the 134th General Assembly lame-duck session, which was to make sure the nearly $2 billion remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds were allocated to programs that would "keep Ohio's communities safe and healthy" while supporting working families and caregivers, and creating good-paying jobs.

"I am glad that we were able to come to (a) bipartisan agreement in order to move these remaining ARPA dollars to areas of critical need in our local communities," Troy said. "These one-time funds were appropriated in Washington to address the challenges and public service shortfalls caused by the pandemic.

"I believe that the priorities that we set in constructing this legislation will help Ohio quickly get back to some degree of normalcy."

HB 45 includes:

—$1.75 billion to schools for pandemic relief

—$350 million to nursing facilities for workforce support

—$168.5 million for health care provider relief payments for critical access and rural hospitals

—$150 million for lead prevention and mitigation

—$112 million for school building security and safety enhancements

—$90 million to improve the mental health care infrastructure

—$85 million to recruit and retain behavioral health workers

—$50 million to expand the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly

—$40 million to support the assisted living workforce

—$30 million to support the hospice care workforce

—$25 million to community food banks

—$15 million to dialysis centers

—$5 million to the Law Enforcement Reimbursement Training Pilot Program

The bill creates a temporary tax amnesty program that would forgive interest and penalties on delinquent taxes and fees for businesses and taxpayers impacted by the pandemic.