The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved grants for 30 states, the agency says, clearing the way for an additional $300 per week on top of the regular state unemployment benefit to those who lost their jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The grants from FEMA were authorized by President Donald Trump who ordered the agency to spend up to $44 billion on federal unemployment benefits. The money would come from the agency's Disaster Relief Fund.
According to a release from FEMA, its authorization to use the Disaster Relief Fund is in addition to the $8.8 billion FEMA has already allocated to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thirty states have been approved to send workers the $300 weekly unemployment benefit, money above the amount states pay each week.
The states approved for the funds so far are:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Washington