On Thursday, March 11, 2021 Gov. David Ige announced that furloughs and layoffs are no longer necessary due to the newly passed American Rescue Plan, also known as the COVID-19 relief bill.
The bills will give the State of Hawai‘i and its four counties about $2.2 billion in assistance to bolster state and county budgets that have sustained significant tax revenue losses because of the pandemic.
A more detailed breakdown of the bill is posted below:
- $1.6 billion for the State of Hawai‘i
- $365 million for the City and County of Honolulu
- $36 million for the County of Hawai‘i
- $13 million for the County of Kaua‘i
- $30 million for the County of Maui
The relief package also expands unemployment benefits through Sept. 6, 2021 with a $300 a week supplement from the federal government.
The bill also provides a 100% subsidy of COBRA health insurance premiums so that laid-off employees can remain on their healthcare plans through September.
In addition, the package will provide $1,400 for qualified single taxpayers, $2,800 for qualified married couples that file jointly, and $1,400 for each dependent.
“This new infusion of federal funding gives the state much needed breathing room so that layoffs and furloughs are no longer necessary in the foreseeable future. We must still assess all impacts of the COVID-19 relief bill before we have a clearer picture of its effect on the state budget,” said Gov. Ige in a press release from his office.
Hawaiʻi will also receive an additional $116 million for critical capital projects for pandemic response in education and healthcare.
The full American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 can be viewed here.