American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, also known as ARPA or the COVID-19 Stimulus Package is a federal law passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021 as a key piece of his "Investing in America" policy platform, primarily aimed at boosting the national economy in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

The primary purpose of the law was to authorize $1.9 trillion in federal stimulus payments to individual taxpayers, parents, underinsured persons and unemployed workers, to state and local governments, and to schools and small businesses, as well as funding COVID vaccine distribution. It aimed to continue and expand elements of the CARES Act of 2020 and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which also included economic stimulus. It also provided incentives to states to expand their Medicaid programs.

Additional federal investments were made by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, which was signed on November 15 of that year, and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, signed on August 16 of that year.

Impacts on the Birmingham district

City of Birmingham

Birmingham received $141 million through the American Rescue Plan Act

References

• Woodfin, Randall (March 6, 2024) "Biden's ‘Investing in America’ agenda making lasting impact." AL.com opinion