Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, today announced that the Department of Justice is making $850 million available nationwide to help public safety agencies respond to the challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19. Funding includes over $18.5 million for cities and counties in Florida.
The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent stimulus legislation signed by President Trump, will allow eligible state and local governments to apply immediately for these critical funds. The Department of Justice is moving quickly to make awards, with the goal of having funds available for drawdown within days of the award.
“With so much of life’s routine disrupted in Florida, state and local first responder agencies have been asked to bear a heavy burden on the front lines of our defense against COVID-19,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said. “Grant funds will do much to help ensure that the necessary resources are there so our law enforcement agencies can continue to keep citizens safe.”
“This is an unprecedented moment in our nation’s history and an especially dangerous one for our front-line law enforcement officers, corrections officials, and public safety professionals,” said Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “We are grateful to the Congress for making these resources available and for the show of support this program represents.”
The grant solicitation, posted by the Bureau of Justice Assistance in the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will remain open for at least 60 days and be extended as necessary. OJP will fund successful applicants as a top priority on a rolling basis as applications are received. Funds may be used to hire personnel, pay overtime costs, cover protective equipment and supplies, address correctional inmates’ medical needs, and defray expenses related to the distribution of resources to hard-hit areas, among other activities. Grant funds may be applied retroactively to January 20, 2020, subject to federal supplanting rules.
Agencies that were eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are candidates for this emergency funding. A complete list of eligible jurisdictions and their allocations can be found at https://bja.ojp.gov/program/fy20-cesfallocations.
For more information about the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, please visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-18553.
For more information about the Office of Justice Programs, please visit https://www.ojp.gov/.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.
To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
