Michigan Senate approves $30M to pay Flint water bills

MICHIGAN, Feb. 24, 2016 -- Under a bill unanimously approved by the Michigan Senate on Tuesday, residents of Flint, Michigan, will get $30 million to help pay their water bills following a lead contamination crisis there.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder plans to sign the bill, which had been passed unanimously by the state's House last week.

The funding would provide Flint residents credits to cover residential water bills from April 2014 through this April, or until the water is deemed clean.

The contamination of Flint's water supply had drawn national attention, even becoming a political scandal as emails and documents have emerged showing that Michigan officials tried to play down and cover up the problem for months.

Once approved, the bill will bring total emergency state funding for Flint to $70 million.