Attorney General Tim Fox has joined a coalition of attorneys general representing 43 states, the District of Columbia, and 5 U.S. territories, urging Congress to extend the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economy (CARES) Act funding until the end of 2021.

“COVID-19 has negatively impacted nearly every facet of American society,” Attorney General Tim Fox said. “As the pandemic continues to set record infection rates, states and local communities will continue to incur COVID-related expenses next year. By extending the deadline, communities nationwide will be able to use CARES Act funds more strategically,” Fox added.

With several pending measures, including bipartisan extension measures in both the House and Senate, the attorneys general urge Congress to pass one of these measures to give states and local communities additional time to utilize the precious COVID-relief resources. In a letter sent to Congress today, the attorneys general asked members to extend the December 30, 2020, deadline.

In anticipation of unprecedented costs and economic disruption stemming from the pandemic, Congress passed the CARES Act in March. The move provided more than $2 trillion in economic stimulus to state and local governments in an effort to combat the impacts of the pandemic. One of the restrictions placed on the funding, however, limits the money’s use to expenses incurred between March 1, 2020, and December 30, 2020.

“This timeframe likely made sense in late March when the CARES Act was passed, but we have learned a great deal about COVID-19 in the past seven months,” the letter states. “Among other things, we know that the pandemic will continue to challenge communities well beyond December 30, 2020 – a deadline that now seems unreasonable.”