Government House outlined Virgin Islands provisions in American Rescue Plan at March 15 briefing

At a Government House press briefing on March 15, 2021, Communications Director Richard Motta Jr. outlined provisions of President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan that he said would affect U.S. Virgin Islands residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Motta said the measure included $1,400 direct payments to individuals, a $300 weekly federal unemployment supplement through Sept. 6, 2021, an expanded child tax credit, additional Paycheck Protection Program funding for small businesses and nonprofits, and added support for education, child care, energy assistance, WIC, vaccine distribution, contact tracing, testing supplies and personal protective equipment. He also said the plan provided targeted support for bars and restaurants, more money for emergency rental assistance, and an expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Motta said the earned income tax credit provision created a roughly $20 million annual shortfall in Virgin Islands tax revenue because of the territory’s mirror tax code and said the federal measure would help the government meet that obligation.

He said the Department of Finance and the Bureau of Internal Revenue had mailed 9,738 stimulus checks totaling $7,161,914 during the previous week, including 6,736 payments to Social Security recipients, and planned to mail another 7,000 checks totaling $5 million during the week of March 15.

Motta also said a court decision had allowed the resumption of excise tax collections after litigation. He said the government planned to use the first excise tax collections to reverse the 8% pay cut imposed on public-sector workers under the Economic Stability Act of 2011.

On public safety, Motta said Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. had submitted legislation to the Legislature addressing firearm reciprocity and requirements for transporting firearms, ammunition and accessories into the territory. He said one proposal would require 24-hour notice of intent to import firearms.

Motta said Bryan had also signed Executive Orders 510-2021 and 511-2021. He said Executive Order 510-2021 activated Executive Branch peace officers territorywide for public safety duties under the police commissioner and mobilized the Virgin Islands National Guard as needed. He said Executive Order 511-2021 created the Governor’s Advisory Council on Community Violence Intervention.

Government House also announced pop-up COVID-19 testing sites for March 16 through March 18, 2021, on St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John.

At the briefing, Government House reported 20,081 first vaccine doses administered and 9,095 people fully vaccinated. It said the territory was tracking 89 active COVID-19 cases, had recorded 2,767 positive tests and 25 fatalities, and had four COVID-19 patients hospitalized at Juan F. Luis Medical Center on St. Croix, including one on a ventilator. No COVID-19 patients were hospitalized at Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas, according to the briefing.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/government-house-details-how-president-bidens-american-rescue-plan-will-assist-virgin-islanders/