Senate Concurrent Resolution 570

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO SUPPORT DIRECT FEDERAL FUNDING TO ALL MUNICIPALITIES IN MISSISSIPPI TO HELP FIGHT COVID-19 AND PROTECT LOCAL CITIZENS FROM THE EFFECTS OF THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS.

WHEREAS, on January 31, 2020, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared a public health emergency for COVID-19 beginning on January 27, 2020; on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic; and on March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared a nationwide state of emergency due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, on April 5, 2020, the President of the United States declared the State of Mississippi a "major disaster area," and on April 1, 2020, the Governor of the State of Mississippi declared a Shelter in Place Order pursuant to Executive Order No. 1466, which was extended on April 17, 2020, via Executive Order No. 1473; and

WHEREAS, on March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act"), which created the Coronavirus Relief Fund; and

WHEREAS, only municipalities of more than 500,000 residents were eligible to receive direct funding from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, which represents only 0.5% of municipalities nationwide and only 14% of the country's total population; and

WHEREAS, only 36 of 19,000 American cities, towns and villages have populations over 500,000; and

WHEREAS, no Mississippi municipality qualified for direct funding from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, and the CARES Act did not mandate that state governments share their portion of the revenue received from the fund; and

WHEREAS, 96% of all municipalities nationwide report that budget shortfalls are the result of unanticipated revenue declines that will negatively impact the important services municipalities provided to their citizens, including fire and police protection; and

WHEREAS, municipal leaders are best positioned to make emergency management decisions related to allocation of resources because they understand the needs of their citizens; and

WHEREAS, Mississippi's municipal leaders need the flexibility to use any federal funding that might be provided to not only address unbudgeted expenses, but also losses in revenue:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN:

(1) That the United States Congress must act to ensure every municipality impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of size, has direct access to federal emergency funding.

(2) That the Mississippi Legislature hereby respectfully requests that the United States Congress support direct federal funding to all municipalities in Mississippi to help us fight COVID-19 and to alleviate budget shortfall in order to protect local citizens from the effects of the coronavirus.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, to the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.