DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa House and Senate passed a number of resolutions Monday that will allow the legislative session to pause for 30 days while allowing the state to work to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The House and Senate waived the requirement for Iowa schools to have to reschedule any canceled days from March 16, 2020 to April 12, 2020, following Governor Reynolds' recommendation of schools closing for four weeks.
RELATED: Live updates: Coronavirus spread in Iowa cancels schools, temporarily shuts down businesses
To reflect an agreement reached earlier in March, education funding will increase, providing schools with an additional $99 million.
The resolution includes a $91.8 million supplemental appropriation for this current fiscal year. Approximately $525,000 of that amount is appropriated to the State Hygienic Lab for additional COVID-19 testing. The remainder of the $91.8 million is for Medicaid, Hawk-I, and the Glenwood Resource Center.
This resolution also allows Governor Reynolds to access the Emergency Economic Fund during the next 30 days for needs related to the COVID-19 outbreak.
As of Monday evening, 23 Iowans had tested positive for the coronavirus.
