The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is an unprecedented opportunity for local and state lawmakers in Alabama to invest equitably in an economic recovery that serves Alabamians of all backgrounds. ARPA provides $130 billion in federal funding directly to local governments. This level of aid will help communities across the country shape their recovery from the COVID-19 recession.

Below is a table of contents for the resources in this toolkit. Email info@alarise.org if you have any questions or recommendations for additional resources.

Six principles for allocating Alabama’s ARPA funding
Groups urge Ivey to drive transformative change with COVID-19 relief funds
Poll shows Alabamians support transformative uses of ARPA funds
The State of Working Alabama
Tell us about the priorities in your community!
Additional ARPA resources

To strengthen the common good: Six principles for allocating Alabama’s ARPA funding

The COVID-19 crisis has created enormous new challenges for Alabama, while shining a harsh light on long-neglected ones. To strengthen and expedite recovery, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), passed by Congress in March 2021, is pumping $4 billion into Alabama’s economy through 2024. New funding at this scale can be transformative for our state, but only if we take a transformative approach to how we spend it.

2023 Update:

ARPA funding presents a powerful opportunity for Alabama. For the first time in many years, Alabama has more than enough revenue to maintain its bare-bones public services. That means instead of scrambling to avoid cuts, the legislative focus can be on strengthening investments in our state’s future.

Lawmakers entered a special session in March to allocate Alabama’s remaining $1 billion of ARPA funds. Alabama Arise will keep up the drumbeat for Alabama to use that money to fuel lasting change across our state.

Below is an update from the beginning of the legislative session on plans for the remaining ARPA funds.

Also:

On March 16, Gov. Kay Ivey signed HB 1 to end the special session she called to distribute the remaining federal funds that Alabama received under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This act provided states with federal funding to help cover losses and expenses incurred because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawmakers previously distributed the majority of the funds, leaving $1.06 billion to be allocated in this year’s special session.

2022 Update:

In a January 2022 blog post, we detailed six ways Alabama should use ARPA funds to build a better, more inclusive future. Read more here.

Later in January 2022, Arise executive director Robyn Hyden testified about our top ARPA priorities to members of the House and Senate’s General Fund budget committees. She recommended investments in public health, affordable housing, public transportation and technology improvements. Read her full testimony here.

2021-22 Special Sessions:

The Legislature allocated $480 million of ARPA funding to prison construction and health care during two special sessions in 2021. Lawmakers allocated another $772 million of ARPA money during another special session in January 2022. That money will fund a range of services, including hospitals, nursing homes, broadband expansion, and water and sewer improvements.

ARPA 101:

In a June 2022 blog post titled “ARPA 101: How the American Rescue Plan Act can build a more equitable Alabama,” Arise’s Rebecca Howard detailed what has happened so far with ARPA funds and how remaining funds can be used on initiatives such as affordable housing, public transportation and food security.

Groups urge Ivey to drive transformative change with COVID-19 relief funds

Alabama should build a more equitable and inclusive future by using federal COVID-19 relief money for transformational investments in public health and economic opportunity, according to a letter that 42 churches and organizations across the state sent to Gov. Kay Ivey in July 2021. Alabama Arise is among the groups that co-signed the letter. Read our news release here.

Poll shows Alabamians support transformative uses of ARPA funds

Alabama’s likely voters overwhelmingly support using federal COVID-19 relief funds to increase funding for mental health and rural hospitals, according to an Alabama Arise poll released in January 2022. Sizable majorities also approved of other potential uses of ARPA money to improve living conditions for children and families. Those proposals include expanding child care, establishing a state child tax credit and investing in affordable housing and public transportation. Read the full poll results here.

The State of Working Alabama

In The State of Working Alabama 2021, Alabama Arise explored COVID-19’s significant and negative impacts on the state’s workforce. We also looked ahead to outline a state and federal policy agenda for repairing the damage – not by repeating the policy mistakes of the past, but by charting a new path toward a more equitable economy marked by broadly shared prosperity.