Gov. Larry Hogan signed a roughly $1.1 billion pandemic relief package into law Monday afternoon. The measure, which passed the legislature almost unanimously, takes effect immediately.
At a ceremonial bill signing, Hogan thanked legislators for passing the bill quickly.
“At a time when so many Americans have stopped believing that democracy can work for them and as Washington remains divided in gridlock, Maryland, once again, has shown the nation that both parties can still come together, that we can put the people's priorities first, and that we can deliver real, bipartisan common sense solutions to the serious problems that face us,” Hogan said.
The bill includes grants for restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues, agricultural businesses and nonprofits; money for people struggling to pay rent or utility bills; grants for people waiting on pending unemployment benefits; and money schools can use to expand tutoring and summer school.
It also qualifies Maryland residents who claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit on their 2019 tax filings for stimulus payments of up to $500. For the following three tax years, it increases the amount of the Earned Income Tax Credit.
“There is not a single Marylander who will not be affected by this bill,” said Senate President Bill Ferguson, “and it will directly affect millions of Marylanders, including, especially, those who have fallen through the cracks despite efforts at previous state and federal aid.”