President Biden on Monday, April 11 signed a bill ending the national emergency declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a move that comes as the U.S. sees a steady decline in cases and deaths.

The President had previously said he would end the emergency on May 11, but he signed the bill ending the emergency into law on April 11 after Congress passed it with bipartisan support.

In Washington state, Gov. Inslee officially ended the state’s COVID-19 public health emergency on October 31, 2022.

The ending of the national COVID-19 emergency will have minor impacts on how cities can use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds moving forward. Cities will no longer be able to provide premium pay to essential workers for work conducted after April 10, 2023. However, cities can provide premium pay to essential workers for work conducted before April 10, 2023.

Cities may continue to use ARPA funds as outlined in the final rule to address public health, negative economic impacts, and revenue loss, as well as water, sewer, and broadband projects. For additional details, please see FAQ 4.11 in Treasury’s ARPA Final Rule FAQ.

The public health emergency declared by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is set to end on May 11, 2023. This will not have an impact on how cities can use ARPA funds.