It was a remarkably quiet week in the Alabama State Legislature last week. While a number of bills were introduced (294 combined House and Senate), very few moved and a limited number of committee meetings were held. On Wednesday, January 19, Governor Ivey officially called a special session to discuss the $772 million dollars in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money.

The majority of the $772 million is proposed to be allocated as follows:

$277 million for broadband
$225 million for drinking water and water systems
$80 million for hospital nursing homes
$30 million for rural hospitals
$20 million for EMS
$11 million for counties to defray costs of housing inmates during the pandemic

The proposed allocations will have to pass the House and Senate. If passed by both legislative bodies, then the vote will probably take place Thursday.

Of the original ARPA money pledged to the state, $400 million was dedicated to prisons. Another approximately $1.1 billion is due in May or June of this year.