TAMPA, Fla. — The Department of Justice announced Wednesday it is making $850 million available for public safety agencies responding to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, including more than $18.5 million for Florida agencies and $7.9 million for agencies in Georgia.
The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program is part of the CARES act stimulus package recently signed by President Trump and allows state, local and tribal governments to apply for funding immediately. The DOJ is currently working on awarding funds, with the goal of having funds available within days of the award.
Agencies will be able to apply for funding through the Bureau of Justice Assistance in the Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs for at least 60 days. OJP will approve funding on a rolling basis as applications are received.
The amount of funding available to each local agency is broken down state-by-state on the DOJ website. The list of Florida agencies is available here. The list of Georgia agencies is available here.
The money can be used to hire additional personnel, pay overtime costs, cover protective equipment and supplies, address inmates' medical needs and cover expenses related to distributing resources to hard-hit areas. Funds can be applied retroactively to Jan. 20 under federal supplanting rules.