Michigan House Passes $465M Coronavirus Relief Bill

MICHIGAN — Michigan's House of Representatives Monday passed a $465 million coronavirus relief bill aiming to help small businesses and frontline workers amid the ongoing pandemic.

The supplemental bill, which was passed in a 97-5 vote, would provide $55 million in grants to small businesses with 100 or fewer employees. The bill also allocates $45 million to employees who have been laid off from their jobs or who have had their hours significantly cut due to state-issued health restrictions.

"This bipartisan relief bill will provide families and businesses the support they need to stay afloat as we continue working to distribute the safe and effective vaccine and eradicate COVID-19 once and for all," Whitmer said in a statement Monday. "There is still more work to do to beat this virus and grow our economy.

"All Michiganders have a personal responsibility to do their part and mask up, practice safe social distancing, and avoid indoor gatherings where the virus can easily spread from person to person. And I urge everyone who is still doing last-minute holiday shopping to buy local to support your favorite businesses and restaurants.

Nearly half of the funding — $220 million — will be used to continue unemployment benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks as opposed to 20 weeks.

Related: Michigan Businesses Expect Pandemic Struggles To Continue: Report

Such a bill could not come soon enough for many Michigan businesses that have struggled throughout the pandemic as restrictions have prevented them from profiting.

Data released last week said consumer spending at Michigan restaurants has been well below normal levels, with 80 percent of Michigan restaurant operators saying their total dollar sales in October was lower than it was in 2019. Overall, sales were down 25 percent on average, according to the survey data.

Most restaurant operators do not expect business conditions to improve in the coming months, according to the data, with 89 percent of Michigan operators expecting their sales to decrease from current levels during the next three months.

Related: Grosse Pointe Park's Beloved 'O'Flaherty's' Persists In Pandemic

Up to $3.4 million would be spent on rapid testing for teachers and other school employees, with $2.5 million going toward providing teachers with $500 in recognition of their work.

The bill was approved by the Michigan Senate in a 35-2 vote Friday and will become official if signed by Whitmer.

Information and reporting from The Associated Press contributed to this report.