CHICAGO — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) announced today that $144,454,782 in federal funding has been made available to the Wisconsin Department of Administration for costs related to the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic under the federal disaster declaration of April 4, 2020.

This funding will reimburse Wisconsin Department of Administration for costs to provide diagnostic testing to reduce the threat of COVID-19 transmission statewide.

“FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an important resource supporting our nation’s pandemic response,” said Tom Sivak, regional administrator, FEMA Region 5. “Testing has played a vital role in stopping the spread of COVID-19 and continues to be a key part of keeping our communities safe from this virus.”

“We are extremely grateful to FEMA and WEM for their continued partnership and support of Wisconsin’s COVID-19 testing efforts,” said Deb Standridge, Deputy Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Health Services. “In coordination with our sister agency at the Wisconsin Department of Administration, testing for COVID-19 remains a critical tool for helping Wisconsinites to protect their health and make informed decisions when going out into the community.”

FEMA provides a 100% federal share of eligible reimbursable expenses for this project.  

FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides supplemental grants to state, tribal, territorial and local governments, and certain types of private non-profits, so that communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies. To learn more, visit FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit.