The Missouri House approved its version of the state budget bills this week, including a plan for spending the $2.68 billion in state aid provided through the federal American Rescue Plan (ARPA). Missouri policymakers must obligate these funds by the end of 2024 and spent them by the end of 2026.
The federal government’s response to COVID – including financial support for state services and direct assistance to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits – has bolstered Missouri’s economy and state budget through what otherwise would have been an economic crisis. As a result, our state does not need to use ARPA funding to fill state budget holes in order to simply maintain basic services.
Rather, ARPA resources provide a critical opportunity for Missouri to make transformative investments that can address the health and economic consequences of the pandemic AND build toward a better and more equitable future for all Missourians.
The House-approved spending plan takes steps toward that end, making key investments to improve health and economic outcomes for all Missourians, including:
- Expansion of broadband and improved IT infrastructure, which will increase access to education, work, telehealth, and state safety net services when needed.
- Workforce development, training initiatives, and improvements in higher education infrastructure to enhance learning.
- Funding for the Department of Health and Senior Services to construct a state-of-the-art laboratory to support public health, agriculture and animal health, and environmental quality.
- Grants for local community development projects, which could allow communities to develop much-needed affordable workforce housing.
- Grants to support capital improvements at Missouri’s community health and behavioral health clinics.
- Grants to nonprofits, small businesses, child welfare organizations, arts organizations and more.
While there is a lot of potential in the bill, there is room for improvement:
- For example, the bill does not include direct cash support for Missourians who have been most impacted by COVID, such as those who were living paycheck-to-paycheck prior to the pandemic and are still struggling to get back on their feet.
- Further, the House version of the spending plan does not use all the fiscal relief funding allocated to Missouri, leaving funds available for other proposals as the bill moves over to the State Senate.
Although states have considerable flexibility in determining how to spend ARPA funds, they must be used for a few general purposes, including responding to the pandemic or its economic effects, providing services, and improving infrastructure.
When the Missouri House of Representatives laid out its ARPA spending plan in House Bill 3020, legislators allocated funds in four designated spending categories:
- Addressing the Health and Economic Consequences of COVID,
- Developing Broadband,
- Improvements in Water Infrastructure, and
- Revenue replacement (general purpose state budget needs).
This summary includes the section number for each appropriation (indicated as 20.XXX) and separates them according to these spending categories.
Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery –
Health and Economic Impact Fund
| Bill Section | Description | Amount | Notes |
| 20.005 | MOEXCELS Workforce Development Initiatives | $10,000,000 | |
| 20.010 | Technology Upgrades at Job Centers | $250,000 | |
| 20.013 | Department of Transportation Grants to Port Authorities | $50,000,000 | |
| 20.025 | State Building HVAC Projects | $5,000,000 | |
| 20.026 | Children’s Trust Fund Home Visiting | $500,000 | |
| 20.030 | Technology Upgrades Department of Commerce and Insurance | $21,000,000 | |
| 20.055 | Broadband Cell Towers | $20,000,000 | |
| 20.065 | Community Development Grants to Localities | $50,000,000 | Allowable uses include developing affordable workforce housing; 1:1 match required |
| 20.070 | Grants to Cities & Counties for Industrial Site Development | $50,000,000 | 1:1 match required |
| 20.075 | Grants to Small Businesses | $10,000,000 | First Round Priority given to Minority and Women-Owned Businesses |
| 20.085 | Grants to Nonprofits | $7,500,000 | |
| 20.090 | Workforce Development | $5,000,000 | Training, etc. |
| 20.095 | Tourism Marketing | $5,000,000 | |
| 20.100 | Local Tourism Grants | $10,000,000 | 1:1 match required |
| 20.105 | Grants to Arts, Museums, Entertainment Venues | $5,000,000 | |
| 20.106 | Grants through the Humanities Council | $1,000,000 | Preference given to programs and venues negatively impacted by Pandemic |
| 20.115 | GIS System to Support Next Generation 911 Services | $38,000,000 | |
| 20.120 | Addition to Missouri Statewide Interoperability Network (MOSWIN) to extend coverage | $4,000,000 | Department of Public Safety portable radio communication coverage Jefferson City, Cole and Callaway Counties |
| 20.125 | State Emergency Management Agency | $100,000,000 | COVID Response including PPE, Monoclonal Antibody Sites, Hospital Staffing, etc. |
| 20.135 | Building State Crime Lab | $104,662,200 | Improvements needed to enhance forensic examinations, provide for DNA processing and sexual assault kits, new protocols/equipment to avoid exposure to dangerous contaminants such as fentanyl. |
| 20.140 | Technology Grants to Local Law Enforcement Training Centers | $10,500,000 | |
| 20.145 | Crime Labs Sexual Assault Kit Testing | $1,125,000 | |
| 20.150 | Grants to Local First Responder Entities | $5,187,034 | Capped at $20,000 per entity and requires 5% match |
| 20.165 | Renovation of Department of Mental Health Operated Cottages and Group Homes | $6,987,195 | |
| 20.170 | Renovation of Department of Mental Health – Fulton State Hospital | $15,999,999 | |
| 20.175 | Timekeeping System for Department of Mental Health | $600,000 | |
| 20.180 | Department of Mental Health Technology Upgrades to Support New 988 Crisis Hotline | $1,081,500 | |
| 20.185 | Grants to Community Health & Mental Health Clinics for Capital Improvements | $149,513,118 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.195 | Nursing Home and Assisted Living Initiatives | $10,000,000 | Can reimburse assisted living facilities for COVID related costs including payroll increases and bonuses |
| 20.196 | Aid to Local Public Health Agencies | $2,300,000 | |
| 20.205 | Aid to Medicaid Providers in Rural Counties to Increase Access to Telehealth | $8,500,000 | |
| 20.210 | Construction & Operation of a new Day Treatment Facility for At-Risk Youth | $5,953,333 | |
| 20.311 | Department of Agriculture Grants for Innovative Projects | Promote Agriculture in Urban/Suburban Communities | |
| 20.326 | Filtration and Remediation of Lead in Water in Schools | $27,000,000 | Buildings that house early childhood, elementary and secondary education programs |
| 20.705 | East Central College Capital Improvements | $6,500,000 | Requires 1:1 Match |
| 20.710 | Jefferson College Capital Improvements | $1,821,265 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.715 | Metropolitan Community College Capital Improvements | $10,000,000 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.720 | Mineral Area College Capital Improvements | $5,000,000 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.735 | Ozarks Technical Community College Capital Improvements | $5,000,000 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.740 | St. Charles Community College Capital Improvements | $18,000,000 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.745 | St. Louis Community College Capital Improvements | $20,000,000 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.750 | State Fair Community College Capital Improvements | $5,000,000 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.760 | State Technical College of Missouri Capital Improvements | $20,000,000 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.765 | University of Central Missouri Capital Improvements | $19,900,000 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.775 | Missouri State University Capital Improvements | $30,000,000 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.780 | Lincoln University Capital Improvements | $20,000,000 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.795 | Missouri Southern State University Capital Improvements | $15,000,000 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.800 | Missouri Western State University and North Central Missouri College Capital Improvements; specifically, the collaborative Convergent Technology Alliance Center | $4,747,458 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.805 | Harris-Stowe State University Capital Improvements | $15,500,000 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.815 | University of Missouri – Columbia Capital Improvements | $104,500,000 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.900 | Office of Administration staffing and equipment to administer funded programs | $1,287,568 |
Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery – Broadband
| Bill Section | Description | Amount | Notes |
| 20.320 | State Parks Broadband and Public WIFI | $9,566,600 | |
| 20.370 | Broadband Expansion | $53,262,456 | |
| 20.371 | Broadband Provider Reimbursement for Costs to remove and replace utility poles as necessary to expand broadband coverage in the state | $25,000,000 | |
| 20.375 | Department of Economic Development Staffing of Broadband Oversight Office | $8,484,488 | Will oversee Broadband Development and Funding |
| 20.380 | Broadband Subsidy Program | $20,000,000 | Subsidies for families with incomes up to 300% of the federal poverty level to access broadband. Preference given to families with school-age children |
| 20.400 | Department of Corrections Broadband | $6,221,625 | Currently the demand for video visitation, virtual/distance academic and vocational education services, virtual/distance substance-use treatment, telemedicine, video court proceedings, and video legal visitation continue to exceed the department’s broadband infrastructure. |
| 20.900 | Department of Economic Development staffing and equipment to administer funded programs | $1,213,069 |
Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery – Water Infrastructure
| Bill Section | Description | Amount | Notes |
| 20.310 | Stormwater Project at Missouri State Fairgrounds | $33,624,500 | |
| 20.325 | Water Infrastructure Grants and Lead Service Line Inventories | $410,686,234 | Requires 1:1 Match |
| 20.330 | Water and Wastewater Improvements at Parks and Historic Sites | $41,356,291 | |
| 20.335 | Missouri Hydrology Information Center | $9,926,210 | |
| 20.390 | Water Infrastructure & Utility Connections National Guard and Veterans Homes | $5,312,270 | Sites include St. James Veterans Home, Camp Clark, Kansas City Airport (MCI) |
| 20.405 | Renovate Water Infrastructure at Corrections Institutions | $14,105,101 |
Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery –
Revenue Replacement
| Bill Section | Description | Amount | Notes |
| 20.500 | Grants to Vocational Education Programs | $20,000,000 | Through DESE, Requires 1:1 Match |
| 20.505 | Grants to Higher Education Institutions for Agriculture Innovation and Workforce Programs | $10,000,000 | |
| 20.510 | State IT Systems Transformation | $117,689,000 | |
| 20.520 | Department of Agriculture Grain Regulatory Licensing System Replacement | $337,290 | |
| 20.525 | Department of Social Services – Updating the Automated Child Support System | $25,750,000 | |
| 20.540 | Department of Agriculture – Emergency Response to Migratory Bird Disease | $2,500,000 | |
| 20.550 | Rock Island Trail Development | $69,296,711 | |
| 20.560 | Broadband In and Around the State Capitol Complex | $12,326,602 | |
| 20.570 | Increased Capacity of Public Safety MOSWIN | $3,100,000 | MOSWIN (Missouri Statewide Interoperability Network) |
| 20.571 | Construction of Law Enforcement Academy | $88,000,000 | |
| 20.572 | Funding for use of force training for all law enforcement officers | $1,000,000 | Training will be provided through a POST-certified non-profit |
| 20.580 | Department of Corrections Video Security System | $11,683,519 | |
| 20.585 | Department of Corrections Radio System | $4,652,237 | |
| 20.610 | Department of Health – Multi-Agency Health Laboratory Campus and Equipment | $72,335,920 | |
| 20.625 | Department of Social Services – Case Management System | $7,000,000 | For the Division of Youth Services |
| 20.630 | Grants to Organizations Serving Victims of Crime | $24,000,000 | Department of Social Services to replace Victims of Crime Grant Funding reductions |
| 20.650 | Upgrades for the Missouri Supreme Court Case.net system | $4,000,000 | |
| 20.700 | Crowder College Capital Improvements | $3,978,000 | Requires 1:1 Match |
| 20.725 | Moberly Area Community College Capital Improvements | $1,489,148 | Requires 1:1 match |
| 20.730 | North Central Missouri College Capital Improvements | $1,166,667 | Requires 1:1 Match |
| 20.755 | Three Rivers College Capital Improvements | $1,000,000 | Requires 1:1 Match |
| 20.770 | Southeast Missouri State University Capital Improvements | $11,000,000 | Requires 1:1 Match |
| 20.785 | Truman State University Capital Improvements | $10,517,500 | Requires 1:1 Match |
| 20.790 | Northwest Missouri State University Capital Improvements | $8,500,000 | Requires 1:1 Match |
| 20.820 | Missouri University of Science and Technology Capital Improvements | $41,250,000 | Requires 1:1 Match |
| 20.825 | University of Missouri – Kansas City Capital Improvements | $40,000,000 | Requires 1:1 Match |
| 20.830 | University of Missouri – St. Louis Capital Improvements | $40,000,000 | Requires 1:1 Match |
| 20.900 | Department of Natural Resources staffing & equipment to administer funded programs | $770,974 |
