President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act into law in March 2021, designating $350 billion nationwide to support immediate pandemic response, address economic fallout and lay the foundation for a strong and equitable recovery.

The County of Berks expects to receive more than $81 million through the American Rescue Plan.

At this point, the County is still in the process of gathering information to properly prioritize the most effective and intentional uses of these funds. The County will focus on leveraging our available resources and collaborating with community partners to ensure that these funds will create a positive, lasting impact in our community for all residents.

​​The County Commissioners have established several committees dedicated to specific focus areas to help address the needs of our residents and strengthen our local economy. Each Commissioner will Chair a committee that will help identify objectives, long-term benefits, possible collaborations and deserving initiatives.

​Community Support Committee

​Chair: Commissioner Kevin S. Barnhardt

​This committee will review food insecurity, homelessness, affordable housing, mental health, health inequities and identify any unmet social service support needs. This committee will also evaluate and study Community Health Needs.

 

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Business Response Committee

​Chair: Commissioner Michael S. Rivera

​This committee will review the programs offered to support businesses so far and determine if there are still unmet needs. This will include small businesses, Main Streets, Tourism, Hospitality, workforce issues and manufacturing operations.

 

​​Special Projects and Infrastructure Committee

​Chair: Commissioner Christian Y. Leinbach

​This Committee will review and assess transportation, broadband, water and sewer and special projects, which may include housing and arts and culture.

County Operations - Assessment and Needs Committee

​Expenditure Dashboard

The County has set up a dashboard that will allow the community to track how the American Rescue Plan funds are distributed  As the County Leadership team makes decisions and allocates funds, the dashboard will be updated to reflect those expenditures

There's not much to see just yet, but the County expects to start distributing funds in the next several months.

The community and Treasury can also find information on the projects that recipients are undertaking with program funding through the Recovery Plan Performance Report. The most recent report can be found here.

 

 

The County is focusing on the following ARP expenditure categories as defined by the federal government:

​The federal government has identified seven categories for ADP expenditures:

• Public Health:  Funding COVID-19 mitigation and vaccination efforts, personal protective equipment, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, payroll for public health and safety staff and capital investment in facilities to meet pandemic operational needs.
• Negative Economic Impacts:  Relieving economic hardships caused by the public health emergency, including aid for workers and families for food, housing or financial insecurity, small business support and recovery of hospitality, industrial and public sectors.
• Services for the Hardest-hit Communities:  Addressing disparities related to health and education, investing in housing and neighborhoods, and promoting healthy childhood environments.
• Premium Pay for Essential Workers:  Providing additional support for critical employees who have and will bear the greatest health risks because of their essential work.
• Infrastructure Investments:  Improving access to clean drinking water, supporting vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and expanding access to broadband internet.
• Public Revenue Replacement:  Funding government operations and services that experienced revenue loss due to the pandemic.
• Administrative and Other:  Covering administrative expenses and evaluation and data analysis costs.

Learn more about the American Rescue Plan

​The United States Treasury website has even more resources about the American Rescue Plan, including an informational Fact Sheet and Frequently Asked Questions.