COVID-19 Relief Small And Minority Businesses Arts Organizations

The act provides funding as follows to support entities impacted by capacity restrictions imposed to address the COVID-19 pandemic and makes corresponding appropriations from the general fund to the departments and agencies specified:

• $37 million to the department of local affairs for use by the division of local government for relief payments to small businesses located in a county or municipality that is subject to, and in good-faith compliance with, severe capacity restrictions pursuant to a public health order, with payments allocated to the counties, economic development districts, or councils of governments or, in some cases, municipalities located within a county that is subject to severe capacity restrictions and that is either not complying with the restrictions or is unable to administer the relief payments program. The distributions are to be made to eligible small businesses, which businesses include restaurants; bars; breweries, wineries, and distilleries that operate an attached sales room; caterers; movie theaters; and fitness and recreational sports centers.
• $7.5 million for relief payments to eligible arts, culture, and entertainment artists, crew members, and organizations, with payments allocated by the creative industries division in the Colorado office of economic development;
• $6,780,000 to the department of public health and environment to enable the department to contract with county or district boards of health and the city and county of Denver to provide state funding in lieu of those local government agencies charging annual licensing fees to certain retail food establishments;
• $1,878,000 to the department of revenue to offset the department's waiver of certain liquor license fees; and
• $4 million for use by the minority business office in the Colorado office of economic development to provide relief payments, grants, and loans, as well as technical assistance and consulting support, to minority-owned businesses.
  (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)