President Joe Biden is asking state and local governments to use funds from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan to offer individuals $100 payments if they get vaccinated against COVID-19, The Hill reported.
The money would be for newly vaccinated Americans to provide "an extra incentive to boost vaccination rates, protect communities and save lives," according to a July 29 news release from the U.S. Treasury Department.
President Biden announced the incentive plan at a July 29 White House address.
"With incentives and mandates, we can make a huge difference and save a lot of lives," President Biden said. He also said all federal workers are to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo regular testing.
"With freedom comes responsibility," President Biden said. "Your decision to be unvaccinated impacts someone else. Unvaccinated people spread the virus."
The move follows multiple new mandates and guidelines as COVID-19 surges across the U.S. On July 26, the Department of Veterans Affairs released a mandate requiring vaccinations for 115,000 of its front-line healthcare workers. The CDC released new guidance July 27 recommending fully vaccinated Americans resume wearing masks indoors in certain regions of the U.S. while updating testing guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals.