TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is including movie theaters among the businesses to receive aid as the state gets close to wrapping up its distribution of federal coronavirus relief funds.
Legislative leaders signed off Friday on a proposal from Gov. Laura Kelly’s pandemic recovery office to allocate $38.5 million in federal relief funds. The state received $1.25 billion and must spend the dollars by the end of the year.
The proposal called for distributing $20 million for aid to businesses that have struggled because of restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic and $18.5 million on public health.
The funds for businesses include $5 million specifically for movie theaters, to be distributed $10,000 per screen. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Troy Waymaster, a Bunker Hill Republican, received assurances during the meeting of legislative leaders with Kelly that one- or two-screen theaters in small towns will be eligible.
Another $5 million would be set aside for private colleges and $4 million would go to restaurants and bars that haven’t been able to tap other relief funds.
Local health departments also would receive $5 million, and some of the money would be to help them handle the eventual distribution of a coronavirus vaccine.
