Pub. 5 Issue 3

19 President Trump Signs Bipartisan Coronavirus Relief Bill ARENTFOX.COM — MARCH 19, 2020 After a short delay due to opposition among Senate Republicans, Congressional leaders in Washington have passed H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act — the second comprehensive spending package in response to the coronavirus outbreak. President Trump signed it into law on Wednesday evening. A fter a short delay due to opposition among Sen- ate Republicans, Con- gressional leaders in Washington have passed H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus ResponseAct — the second comprehensive spending package in response to the coro- navirus outbreak. President Trump signed it into law on March 18, 2020. The package was sent to the President’s desk after undergoing technical changes to paid medical leave and public health emergency medical leave provisions that will limit costs for small businesses. Employers with 500 employees or more are exempt from the bill’s leave provisions. Cong ressional leaders are al ready working with the White House on a third coronavirus package that will provide fiscal stimulus to support various sectors of the economy, back loans for small businesses, and cut checks to Americans. Observers expect the third coronavirus package to be finalized over the next few days and come up for a vote this weekend or early next week. Against the backdrop of more than 6,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, a collapsing stock market, and closures of schools, universities, and professional sports leagues, Congress has passed H.R. 6201, which provides paid leave for employees, expands nutrition assistance and anti-hunger programs for students and seniors, and boosts unemployment assistance for displaced workers. The measure a lso ensures t hat test i ng related to the coronavirus is provided at no cost for individuals receiving care through Medicare, Medicaid, military health care programs and TRICARE (veterans). The package comes on the heels of President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency that will provide up to $50 billion for states to respond to the coronavirus, and represents Congress’s second effort to halt the spread and impact of the virus. Congressional leaders and the White House have already begun working on a third package to address the coronavirus, whichwill be expressly focused on boosting the economy and promoting economic security for Americans. Below, you’ll find a summary of the major provisions of H.R. 6201. Anti-Hunger &Nutrition Programs The Families First Coronavirus Response Ac t provides additional funding for a host of programs that ensure the nation’s most vulnerable, at- risk, and low-income individuals don’t go hungry due to the impacts of the coronavirus. Specifically, the bill provides: