The Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) approved the
Governor’s emergency request to allocate $1.2 billion in federal
funding to counties today. See the JLBC letter
here and the county-by-county allocation chart
here.
The formula, developed in consultation with the 61 local health
jurisdictions (58 counties and three cities), distributes $1
million in base funding to each jurisdiction. The remaining funds
are allocated using a formula wherein 50 percent is based on
population, 25 percent is based on populations most impacted by
COVID-19 (Black, Latinx, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders),
and 25 percent based on poverty. The base allocation, ethnicity,
and poverty measures ensure a fair allocation for all counties.
Counties can use the funding starting March 1 on vaccine support,
testing, contact tracing, and other related activities through
July 31, 2023. This funding was provided by Congress through the
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act
of 2021, P.L. 116-260, commonly referred to as Epidemiology and
Laboratory Capacity (ELC) funding.
The California Department of Public Health will be hosting a
webinar later this month to review the purpose of this funding
and the process for submitting application documents. Counties
with questions may reach out to CDPHELC@cdph.ca.gov.
