ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Wes Moore has signed a $60 million executive order to provide temporary relief to businesses and workers impacted by the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

The order directs state agencies to identify potential relief funds and programs to supplement the aid approved for the Port of Baltimore. The Port of Baltimore Emergency Business Assistance Program will distribute $15 million in grants up to $100,000 to businesses directly impacted by the disruption of Port operations. The Port of Baltimore Worker Retention Program will distribute $12.5 million in grants to businesses who are at risk of laying off employees to keep those workers on the job. The Port of Baltimore Worker Support Program will provide temporary financial support to workers who work regularly at the Port and are ineligible for unemployment insurance benefits.

Additionally, $15 million of the aid will be distributed through the Neighborhood BusinessWorks program to provide grants and low-interest loans to eligible businesses that have been impacted by a loss of revenue or an increase to costs relating to the Key Bridge collapse. The Governor’s Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs will provide technical assistance to impacted businesses seeking state and federal business assistance. Maryland State departments will identify services and programs that may be deployed to support displaced workers and impacted businesses, including child care programs. The Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation will identify opportunities for Maryland Corps, the Service Year Option Program, and other DSCI programs to contribute to the recovery of the Greater Baltimore region.

A fact sheet on the executive order can be found online here.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photo via Governor Wes Moore