COVID-19 Response:

Coronavirus Supplemental Bill 2

On Wednesday, President Trump signed a second coronavirus supplemental funding bill, the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act.”

The bill includes:

• requirements for public health plans to cover coronavirus testing at no additional cost to the consumer;
• a temporary increase to the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) to each state;
• additional funding to Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Emergency food Assistance Program (TEFP);
• $5 million to the Department of Labor to administer emergency paid sick leave; and
• releases an additional $1 billion in FY2020 emergency grants to states to process and pay unemployment insurance benefits among other provisions.

Coronavirus Supplemental Bill 3

The Senate is currently working on a third coronavirus supplemental bill that is expected to combat the economic effects of coronavirus. The package will follow the $1 trillion proposal submitted by Treasury Secretary Mnuchin which offers aid to airlines, hotels, casinos and small-to-medium-sized businesses. The bill is expected to also include funding for rebate checks for individuals and households, and a loan forgiveness program to keep employees on the payroll.

In addition to economic stimulus programs, the bill is expected to include funding for the development of vaccines, testing, and treatment at the Department of Health and Human Services, and funding for the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and the Veterans Health Administration.

Future Coronavirus Supplementals

Following the passage of the third coronavirus supplemental bill through the House and Senate, lawmakers are expected to immediately begin to take up a fourth bill that will address the Trump administration’s request for $46 billion to help federal agencies in the fight against coronavirus.