Congressional Actions Related to Infectious Disease, Public Health, and Coronavirus

2020 - Congress Passed and President Trump Signed into Law the CARES Act

Recovery Rebate

The CARES Act authorized a $1,200 non-taxable rebate to every individual who has a Social Security Number, is not a dependent, and makes less than $99,000

For more information, visit the recovery rebate section below.

Unemployment Insurance

The CARES Act also expanded the duration of unemplyment insurance benefits and who is eligible to receive these benefits.

  • Each state is responsible for administering this program.
  • Pandemic Unemployment Assistance is expanded to include individuals who are unemployed or self-employed and out of work due to multiple consequences of coronavirus such as:
    • having COVID-19, household member has COVID-19, caring for a family member who has COVID-19, taking care of child who is home due to schools or childcare centers being closed, cannot reach work because of government issued quarantine, individual is self-quarantining, cannot reach job due to public health emergency, head of household has died of COVID-19, individual has quit his/her job as a direct result of COVID-19, individuals place of work is closed as a direct result of COVID-19
  • Individuals who are not covered are those who are teleworking with pay or individuals who are eligible for paid sick leave or other paid leave benefits.
  • The expanded assistance will be available from January 27, 2020 to December 31, 2020 for as long as individuals are unable to work.
  • From now until July 31, 2020, the federal government will include an additional $600 per week along with each state's normal unemployment weekly payment.
  • An additional 13 weeks of unemployment have been added, this also applies to people who have been on unemployment for unrelated reasons or have utilized all of their unemployment for the year.

For more information regarding unemployment insurance due to COVID-19 in California, please visit: https://www.edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019.htm

Paycheck Protection

Establishing a $350 billion Paycheck Protection Program to forgive businesses and non-profits for up to $10 million in loans for covering the paychecks, health benefits, mortgages or rents, and utilities. Businesses are only eligible if they maintain their employees and keeps their wages at pre-pandemic levels.

For more informtion, visit the small business section of this page.

Healthcare

  • $127 billion to the Public Health Social Services Emergency Fund
  • $4.3 billion to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • $945.5 million for COVID-19 research at the National Institute of Health
  • $25.06 billion for Nutrition Assistance at the U.S. Department of Agriculture
    • $8.8 billion for school lunches and breakfasts
    • $15.52 billion for SNAP
    • $450 million for food banks
  • Requires all private insurance plans to cover COVID-19 testing and prevention without cost sharing
  • Provides free vaccines without cost sharing once it is developed

Assistance to States, Municipalities, and Businesses

  • $150 billion in grants to states, tribes, and territories
    • At least $1.25 billion to every State, which will increase depending on population
    • $8 billion to Tribes, and $3 billion to Territories
  • $500 billion loans to States, businesses, and municipalities
    • $25 billion loan for passenger airlines and $4 billion for cargo airlines
    • $17 billion for critical businesses within the national security supply chain
    • $454 billion for states, other businesses, and municipalities

Other Provisions

  • Foreclosures on homes with federally backed mortgages are frozen for the next 60 days
  • Evictions on homes with federally backed mortgages are temporarily suspended for 129 days
  • Student loan payments are deferred through September, and all employer-sponsored student debt repayment will not count as taxable income for 2020

Congress Passed and President Trump Signed into Law the Families First Coronavirus Respose Act

  • $1.2 billion to help cover the costs of coronavirus testing, including $142 million to eliminate copay requirements for servicemembers and veterans.
  • $1.25 billion to provide emergency nutritional assistance for senior citizens, women, children, and low-income families, including: $500 million for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; $400 million for the Emergency Food Assistance Program; $100 million for the food assistance block grant programs of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands; and $250 million for senior nutrition programs
  • $15 million for the Internal Revenue Service to administer tax credits in the bill for small businesses to provide financial assistance for workers who may have to take sick leave as a result of the virus.
  • Increased access to telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries.

Congress Passed and President Trump Signed into Law the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations

  • More than $4 billion to make diagnostic tests more broadly available; to support treatments to ease the symptoms of those infected with the virus; and to invest in vaccine development and to procure vaccines when they are available. Funds are also made available for the Food and Drug Administration to protect the integrity of medical products manufactured overseas and identify and prevent potential shortages.
  • $2.2 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a robust response, including: Nearly $1 billion exclusively for state and local response efforts; and $300 million for CDC's Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Reserve Fund to prevent, prepare for, and respond to diseases – keeping our nation prepared and positioned for any health threat.
  • $20 million to administer disaster assistance loans for small businesses impacted by the virus.
  • $1.25 billion for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to protect Americans abroad and prevent the spread of the virus worldwide, including: $264 million to evacuate Americans and maintain consular operations overseas; and $200 million for USAID's Emergency Response Fund to prepare for and respond to emerging health threats – working to prevent the spread of illness and infection before it reaches U.S. soil.

2019 - Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act Signed Into Law

  • Reauthorized Public Health Preparedness and Response Programs - giving federal, state, and local officials tools to respond quickly
  • Established Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority – Leads development and acquisition of medical countermeasures against pandemic infectious diseases
  • Created a Framework for how the Department of Health and Human Services Leads Public Health Emergencies.