The House of Representatives passed the Heroes Act, a bill to provide relief to first responders, frontline workers and Americans affected by the spread and economic effects of the coronavirus crisis. The bill includes nearly $1 trillion for state, local, territorial and tribal governments to ensure first responders, police officers, teachers, and other key municipal and frontline workers avoid pay cuts or layoffs. The bill also establishes a Heroes’ Fund of $200 billion to give hazard pay to frontline workers, provides additional stimulus payments of up to $6,000 per family, and funds an additional $75 billion for coronavirus testing, treatment and prevention efforts. If the bill is enacted, the most recent estimates indicate that cities within California’s 31st Congressional District and the County of San Bernardino would be eligible for over $1.9 billion in combined federal funding over the next two years, with the following individual allocations:
Local Coronavirus Relief Fund | 2020 Allocation Estimate | 2021 Allocation Estimate |
Colton | 18,017,068 | 9,008,534 |
Fontana | 100,408,635 | 50,204,318 |
Grand Terrace | 4,141,809 | 2,070,905 |
Loma Linda | 8,024,920 | 4,012,460 |
Rancho Cucamonga | 49,168,937 | 24,584,468 |
Redlands | 23,561,313 | 11,780,657 |
Rialto | 58,071,493 | 29,035,746 |
San Bernardino | 162,878,418 | 81,439,209 |
San Bernardino County | 824,817,734 | 412,408,867 |
Upland | 30,545,657 | 15,272,829 |
Estimated Total CA-31 Funding | 1,279,635,986 | 639,817,993 |
“As a former mayor, I know firsthand how our communities are suffering as a result of the damage this virus has done to local economies. The Heroes Act ensures that our first responders and frontline workers won’t go unpaid while they work to keep our community safe, and provides additional relief to help Inland Empire residents meet the economic hardship our region is facing. I was proud to vote for this bill because San Bernardino County residents cannot afford to wait any longer for Congress to step up and provide solutions to this crisis,” said Rep. Aguilar.
Rep. Aguilar serves as the Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, the committee responsible for allocating federal funding.