Hawai‘i To Receive $1.2 Million In Additional FEMA Funding To Cover Testing, PPE, Other Emergency Activities During Pandemic

HONOLULU — Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that the state will receive an additional $1,234,910.55 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance program to cover the costs of emergency activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. This federal funding will reimburse state and local governments for purchasing testing supplies and personal protective equipment, administering emergency feeding and non-congregate sheltering, emergency operation center costs, and other protective measures.

“State and local governments have been on the front lines of this pandemic — buying PPE, running testing and tracing programs, and providing emergency food and housing. This reimbursement from FEMA will cover some of the costs of this life-saving work and free up more resources to help us get back to normal life,” said Senator Schatz, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Hawai‘i applied for $4.9 million in FEMA funding to cover the state and county governments' emergency activities. The state initially received 75 percent of its reimbursement request on March 18, 2021. Afterwards, President Biden increased the federal reimbursement rate from 75 percent to 100 percent — and this payment provides the outstanding 25 percent. These funds were authorized under the presidential disaster declaration on April 1, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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