Ohio townships are now officially eligible to get money from the American Rescue Plan, which is meant to help communities recover from COVID's economic impact.

On Tuesday, the Ohio Township Association announced that Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation that confirms Ohio townships are entitled to the funds.

Townships were unintentionally left out of the original American Rescue Plan bill language, causing confusion.

The Ohio Township Association says the funding will be distributed through the Ohio Office of Budget and Management by population.

"We are ecstatic that townships in Ohio are now eligible for direct ARP funds, " said Heidi Fought, the executive director of the Ohio Township Association. "Congress's intention was to provide funding relief to local governments. With townships providing essential services to four million Ohioans, they desperately need these funds, just like cities and villages."