What The New COVID-19 Relief Bill Could Mean For Texas
WASHINGTON — After hundreds of video conference calls, phone conversations, and socially-distanced meetings with Texans over the past few months, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following information about the new COVID-19 relief bill – the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools (HEALS) Act – announced by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
How the HEALS Act helps Texans
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Supports Texas workers and their jobs:
Extends an added federal unemployment insurance benefit for Texans out of work
Provides $1,200 direct assistance payments to Texans earning less than $75,000 …annually
Extends employee retention tax credit to help stabilize Texas jobs
Adds $90 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program, in addition to the more than …$130 billion still remaining in the program
Expands the Paycheck Protection Program to include Main Street advocates and …501(c)(6)s
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Supports educators and students at all levels:
Extends student loan deferment program from CARES Act
Provides $70 billion in federal funding for K-12 schools
Provides $29 billion in direct funds for higher education
Provides $5 billion for the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund
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Supports our health care workers in fighting the coronavirus:
Provides an additional $25 billion for healthcare provider relief fund
Adds $16 billion for testing, contact tracing, and surveillance, on top of $9 billion still …available from previous bills
Adds $26 billion for vaccine development
Adds $15.5 billion to NIH for research
Appropriates $4.5 billion to care for Americans’ mental health, suicide prevention, …and substance use disorder services
Provides $7.6 billion for Community Health Centers
Provides $225 million for rural health clinics
Protects frontline health care workers (as well as charities, educators, and small …businesses) following public health guidelines from expensive and timely lawsuits
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Cares for our children through the pandemic:
Includes an additional $15 billion for childcare assistance
Cares for foster youth, including kids aging out of the system, with $50 million and …increased flexibility in program requirements
Appropriates $10 million for state courts handling child abuse and neglect cases
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Aids farmers and ranchers and facilitates the food supply chain:
Adds $20 billion in direct assistance for the agricultural industry and strengthens the …farm safety net
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Aids state and local governments:
Adds flexibility for state and local governments using CARES Act funds, of which at …least 15% must still be passed to downstream governments