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House places $688M federal relief and supplemental budget on calendar in special session
Summary
During the Aug. 20, 2020 special session, Representative Last outlined HB 6002, a supplemental budget that reallocates CARES Act and state funds for broadband, health clinics, PPE, economic support for hardest‑hit industries, workforce training, and an unemployment supplement; the bill was lifted from Rules and placed on the third‑reading calendar for further action.
Representative Last presented House Bill 6002, the supplemental budget and coronavirus relief appropriations package, as the principal budget measure for the special session. He described HB 6002 as the next step in a multi‑session fiscal response to the pandemic and provided a line‑item overview of targeted restores and appropriations.
Key allocations cited by Last included: approximately $25 million for broadband access in eastern and northern Utah; $4 million to provide Wi‑Fi access for residents in San Juan County; $15 million for classroom supplies, equipment and PPE for schools (in addition to district CARES allocations); $4 million in additional PPE to free up other federal funds for charter needs; $40 million in targeted economic support for hardest‑hit industries (including $7.5 million for arts organizations and $5 million for mining); roughly $7 million for respite services for caregivers of individuals with disabilities; $15 million for testing capacity at state medical labs; $750,000 to add ICU beds in smaller communities; and authorization of $138 million for unemployment benefits plus $1.7 million in administrative costs to provide an additional $300 per week to eligible Utahns in response to pandemic job loss.
Representative Last said the bill would use some insurance reserves and prior budget adjustments along with CARES funds to restore high‑priority services and sustain operations through the next general session. Members asked clarifying questions about eligibility, duration and whether federal or state funds would be used for particular components; Last confirmed CARES money would be used for administrative costs associated with unemployment supplementation but indicated some implementation details would be addressed administratively.
Under suspension of the rules, the House lifted HB 6002 from the Rules Committee for second reading and placed it on the third‑reading calendar. A fuller floor debate and vote were scheduled as the chamber continued its special‑session work.
The immediate next steps were for the chamber to consider the bill on third reading and for staff to provide additional implementation details; representative debate emphasized the bill’s time‑sensitivity because of federal funding deadlines and pandemic‑era economic pressures.
