PHX Reporter

Arizona may receive up to $4.2 billion in federal aid to help residents and businesses with all factors of life affected by the pandemic.

The Coronavirus Relief, Aid and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 758) was signed into law Friday, March 27. The total cost is estimated to be $2.2 trillion.

About $3 billion of the funds would be used directly by the state and local governments. About $1.6 billion would go to the state and $1.3 would go to local. These are estimates, as the bill is in its preliminary stages.

"There's thousands and thousands of great Arizonans who have never asked for anything from the government," Gov. Doug Ducey said, according to AZ Central. "Today, they've got no income, and they've got high anxiety, and many of them are concerned about losing their apartment or their home or their small business. With what the feds are doing and what the state has, this is going to be a lifeline."

Residents residing in counties or cities with populations greater than 500,000 may receive payments directly as opposed to through the state. This includes Phoenix, Mesa, Tucson, Pima counties and Maricopa counties.

Single taxpayers who filed for less than $75,000 last year will receive $1,200. Couples who made less than $150,000 jointly will receive $2,400. For each child, parents and guardians will receive $500.

There will also be weekly unemployment benefits that raise from $240 to $840 with the addition of federal aid.

For childcare, Arizona could receive about $85 million for essential employees.

Approximately $22 million is for programs for child welfare, early childhood development, runaway and homeless youth and family violence prevention.

Another $18 million may be used specifically for help with older adults, including caregiver services and home meals.

One of the biggest portions of the funding, about $550 million, will go toward transit infrastructure grants.

About $18 million of the remaining funds are scheduled for Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grants to support law enforcement, crime prevention, prosecution, and substance abuse treatment efforts.

The bill puts $8 million for responding to coronavirus during the 2020 federal election.