Nevada

When the pandemic shuttered doors and slashed the tourism industry, Nevada, home to the vibrant Las Vegas and typically bustling national parks, struggled to stay afloat. Until the Biden Administration passed the American Rescue Plan, saving the state from economic collapse.

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act, Americans across the country were able to stay afloat through one of history’s darkest moments.

In Nevada, where the state economy relies almost entirely on tourism to generate revenue, the impacts of the American Rescue Plan have been felt broadly as President Biden and Vice President Harris’s comprehensive law saved the state. Using funding from ARPA, Nevada established the State Small Business Tax Credit to help existing businesses with employment and operating costs and to provide burgeoning ventures with economic support in the face of a sluggish economy. With this money, the state saw a record number of small businesses open in spite of the economic challenges posed by the pandemic, and employment fell nearly 4 percent within the first year of the American Rescue Plan Act. The state actually added jobs in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, creating more opportunities for Nevadans than there were before the pandemic. 

As students continued distance learning and returned to the classroom, Nevada received funds to support students and teachers, with 18 of the state’s 20 school districts receiving direct support to aid in reopening efforts. To keep students connected at home through the final days of virtual learning and the new era of hybrid classes, the Biden Administration provided the state with funds to build the infrastructure to connect 40,000 Nevada homes to high speed internet and supply students with electronic devices like laptops and tablets. Nevada also allocated education funding towards mental health services for students by expanding access to counselors and telehealth as teens and children readjusted to their new, post-pandemic reality. And beyond the K-12 level, the Biden Administration provided 80,000 college students with direct financial assistance to keep them enrolled in their degree programs.

And through such difficult times, the Biden Administration worked hard with state, local, and nonprofit partners to keep Nevadans in their homes. With funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, the state has made 6,000 payments to struggling renters to assist them with ongoing rent and utility payments and an additional 20,000 payments to forgive past rent and utility bills that fell to the wayside throughout the difficult months of the pandemic. The state has also been able to utilize funding to construct new affordable housing units for Nevadans, including struggling veterans, while revitalizing communities.

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act, Nevadans haven’t just recovered from the pandemic but have been able to thrive despite ongoing impacts across the globe.