A supplemental spending plan of more than a billion dollars received a hearing Wednesday before the House Appropriations Committee.
The bill would use federal dollars to pay for things like early testing sites and monoclonal antibody therapy.
State Rep. Julie Calley (R- Portland) is a bill sponsor. She said the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is trying to get those treatments to more people.
“The DHHS in August said the goal was for 50% of eligible high-risk Michiganders who test positive for COVID-19 to receive monoclonal within ten days of symptom onset,” Calley said.
Her plan would send the most money toward increasing Michigan’s testing capacity.
That includes purchasing tests for schools and for business employees who have received waivers for the federal vaccine mandate.
State Rep. Joe Tate (D-Detroit) is the minority vice chair for the appropriations committee. He said it’s important to keep in mind the state still has billions left federal funds it could use.
“You know we’ve had federal dollars since December that we still haven’t had appropriated at this point in time, so I think that’s one of things, the more important things,” Tate said.
About a third of the money in this bill came from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Democrats have been calling for months for lawmakers to appropriate the remaining billions of dollars set aside for the state in that law.