COLUMBUS — State Sen. Frank Hoagland, R-Mingo Junction, announced Monday the state’s approval of more than $87 million in additional funding for COVID-19-related expenses for Ohio’s K-12 schools, libraries, veterans’ homes and highway rest stops.

These funds, approved by the state Controlling Board, are provided to Ohio through the federal CARES Act and can be used for necessary pandemic costs, including but not limited to personal protection equipment, safety and sanitation operations and remote learning technology.

“As our communities recover from the financial hardships the COVID-19 pandemic has caused I am proud that Ohio continues to respond with the necessary resources to help those most in need,” said Hoagland. “I am particularly thrilled about the additional funding being allocated for our veterans. With proposed budget cuts, I know these additional dollars will go a long way to support the organizations who serve our vets.”

The funding approved includes:

$50 million in matching grant dollars to Ohio’s K-12 school districts for remote learning tools, including broadband communication devices, hotspots, etc.;

$18.3 million for Ohio’s libraries;

$8.75 million for Ohio’s domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers;

$4.6 million for BMV Deputy Registrar sites and State Driver’s Test centers;

$3 million for Ohio’s congressionally-chartered veterans’ organizations;

$1 million for Ohio’s two veterans’ homes located in Sandusky (Erie county) and Georgetown (Brown county);

$1 million through the Attorney General’s office to be used on COVID19-related fraud prevention, especially as it relates to fraud targeting Ohio’s elderly population; and

Additional dollars for Ohio’s 86 rest stops, operated by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

To date, nearly $1.7 billion in CARES Act funding has been approved by the General Assembly to be distributed to Ohio’s communities as they continue to battle and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.