Wash. State Office of Financial Management Issues Report Entitled 'Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds'

Targeted News Service - 9/5/2021

OLYMPIA, Washington, Sept. 5 (TNSRep) -- The Washington State Office of Financial Management issued a 51-page report in August 2021 entitled "Recovery Plan Performance - Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds."

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Table of Contents

Executive summary...1

Financial relief funding overview...2

Use of funds: Revenue replacement...4

Why the state replaced revenue in transportation accounts...4

How these funds promote equity efforts...8

Use of Funds: Public health...8

University of Washington Medical Center...8

Uninsured and underinsured care...9

How these funds promote equity efforts...9

Opioids: Healthcare provider curriculum...9

Behavioral health provider relief funds...10

* How these funds promote equity efforts...10

Department of Corrections: COVID-19 Response...10

* How these funds promote equity efforts...11

Use of Funds: Negative economic impacts...12

Pandemic Paid Leave Assistance...12

* How these funds promote equity efforts...13

Immigrant relief funding...14

How these funds promote equity efforts...15

Overview of household assistance: Food programs...15

* How these funds promote equity efforts...16

* Food supply chain, and food infrastructure and market access...17

* How these funds promote equity efforts...18

Unemployment Insurance Relief Account...18

* How these funds promote equity efforts...19

Rental assistance...20

* How these funds promote equity efforts...20

* Use of evidence...20

Business assistance...21

* How these funds promote equity efforts...21

Art industry grants...21

* How these funds promote equity efforts...24

Tourist recovery...24

* Statewide tourist recovery...24

* How these funds promote equity efforts...25

* Clallam CountyFerry project...25

* How these funds promote equity efforts...25

Use of funds: Infrastructure...25

Overview of broadband projects...26

* How these funds promote equity efforts...26

Water and sewer projects...27

* Clean water: Centralized wastewater treatment...28

* Clean water: Centralized wastewater collection and conveyance...28

* Clean water: Other sewer infrastructure...29

* Clean water: Stormwater...29

* Clean water: Water conservation...30

* Clean water: Nonpoint source...30

* Drinking water: Treatment...30

* Drinking water: Transmission and distribution...30

* Drinking water: Source...31

* Clean water: Drinking water storage...31

* Drinking water: Other water infrastructure...32

* Potential drinking water: Other water infrastructure projects...32

Grants for affordable housing development utility connections...33

* How these funds promote equity efforts...33

Labor practices...34

Use of funds: Services to disproportionately impacted communities...34

Improving healthy childhood environments...34

* How these funds promote equity efforts...36

* Use of evidence...36

Housing and Essential Needs program...36

* How these funds promote equity efforts...37

* Use of evidence...37

Use of funds: Administrative and other...37

Project inventory and expenses by expenditure category...37

Performance reporting...43

Pandemic paid leave assistance...43

Immigrant relief funding...43

State Food Assistance program...43

The Emergency Food Assistance program...43

Farmers to Families food boxes...44

Food supply chain, and food infrastructure and market access...44

Business assistance...44

Art industry grants...45

Clallam County Ferry project...45

Uninsured and underinsured care...45

Behavioral health provider relief funds...45

Improving healthy childhood environments...46

Housing and essential needs.......46

Ineligible activities: Tax offset provision...47

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Executive summary

Washington was the first state in America to confront the COVID-19 virus in 2020.

On Feb. 29, 2020, the state experienced the first confirmed COVID-19 related death in the country. Gov. Jay Inslee immediately went into action by declaring a state of emergency (Proclamation 20-05). On that same day, multiple states had 66 confirmed cases of the virus. With its long incubation period and airborne transmission that experts were still studying, the virus was poised to spread, and to spread quickly.

States were forced to grapple with the same question: Whether to put lives first or the state's economy first. Inslee chose to save lives.

In mid-March 2020, Inslee closed schools and institutions of higher education. Restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and recreational facilities soon followed. In-person gatherings of 50-plus people were prohibited. The governor transitioned state employees to remote work wherever possible. He encouraged other governments and the private sector to do the same.

Then, on March 23, after 110 confirmed COVID-19 related deaths in the state, Inslee issued the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order to slow the person-to-person spread of the virus (Proclamation 20-25). It required Washingtonians to stay home unless they were engaged in an essential activity. It banned gatherings for social, spiritual, and recreational purposes regardless of group size, and it closed all nonessential businesses.

Vacations and leisure activities were canceled. Social and religious events moved to online platforms. Washingtonians stayed home unless they had to work, go to a medical appointment, or buy food and supplies. Unemployment hit an all-time high. Across communities and neighborhoods, the state largely stood still and waited.

In June 2020, Inslee introduced a plan to reopen the state using a county-by-county phased approach with a science-based model that considered hospitalizations and case data.

With COVID-19 cases down and vaccines rates up, all counties in the state moved into Phase 3 of the reopening plan on March 22, 2021. In April 2021, more than 84% of the state's roughly 5.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered to Washingtonians./1

Finally, the state reopened -- almost one year later.

As of August 23, 2021, the state has experienced 6,417 confirmed COVID-19 related deaths2 and it has administered over 8.4 million life-saving vaccines to residents across the state. However, not all Washingtonians are getting vaccinated, even as the highly contagious delta variant sweeps across the state.

The number of positive COVID-19 tests climbed from 2% in June 2021 to 5.5% in August 2021, with a 20% increase in hospitalizations the last week of July./3

We can attribute more than 92% of hospitalizations and deaths in Washington to people who have not been fully vaccinated./4

Increasing vaccination rates is currently the most effective tool to decrease the number of COVID-19 cases that lead to hospitalization and death. In August 2021, Inslee issued Proclamation 21-14 that required most state workers, on-site contractors and volunteers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Health care workers, long-term care providers and many state employees who work with the public have a duty to protect the public and be protected themselves. State employees and workers in private health care and long-term care settings must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18. Washington also recently reinstated face mask requirements for indoor public places regardless of vaccination status.

The state has never experienced such an economic and public health upheaval. More than a year and a half later, Washingtonians still live in the shadow of an ongoing pandemic while they strive to recover -- despite setbacks. The pandemic has highlighted equal access issues across the state in areas such as safety net services for food, public transportation, technology, housing, and concrete goods.

While the state's actions have saved lives and will continue to protect Washingtonians, the state's recovery now requires joint focus and dedication from its governments, private sector, and its people. To safely rebuild the state, our work is not done until we come together to defeat this virus and redesign our economy to be more versatile and equity centered.

This report outlines where and how Washington plans to use Coronavirus State Fiscal Relief Funds (CSFRF) to support this response and recovery effort. Backed by data and facts, this report demonstrates how these funds will make the largest difference in the lives of Washingtonians as we seek relief, recovery and - above all - stay resilient.

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Ineligible activities: Tax offset provision

Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds may not be used to offset a reduction directly or indirectly to net tax revenue due to changes in state laws, regulations, or administrative interpretations that have occurred since March 3 (under federal rule 31 CFR Part 35). As of the time of this publication, Washington has not applied Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds to this purpose. Going forward, the state will track this closely, beginning with reporting year state fiscal year 2021.

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The full report, including footnotes can be viewed at: https://ofm.wa.gov/sites/default/files/public/publications/WA-CSFRF-Recovery-Plan-Performace-Report_Aug2021.pdf

TARGETED NEWS SERVICE (founded 2004) features non-partisan 'edited journalism' news briefs and information for news organizations, public policy groups and individuals; as well as 'gathered' public policy information, including news releases, reports, speeches. For more information contact MYRON STRUCK, editor, editor@targetednews.com, Springfield, Virginia; 703/304-1897; https://targetednews.com