Introduction
Our nation is facing one of the gravest health and economic emergencies in more than 100 years. The coronavirus pandemic has had a deep impact on every aspect of American life — and bold action is required to address the health emergency, mitigate the economic damage and provide for a strong recovery.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, House Democrats have focused on ensuring our nation’s response puts workers and families first: their health, their wages and their wellbeing. We already have adopted a number of sweeping pieces of emergency legislation:
• American Rescue Plan
• Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA)
• The Heroes Act, which the Senate refused to pass
• The Paycheck Protection Program & Health Care Enhancement Act
• The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act
• The Families First Coronavirus Response Act
• The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act
Congress’ emergency aid packages provide direct emergency cash assistance for individuals, expanded unemployment insurance, aid to local communities and small businesses, and robust resources for hospitals and frontline health care workers.
My COVID-19 Constituent Service Resource Toolkit will help you understand all the resources that are available to you — and how to access them. Stay safe.
Individuals & families
Vaccination
President Biden issued a directive for all States to begin vaccinating PreK-12 educators, staff and child care workers regardless of age, and federally-supported sites in Florida are complying. Florida Governor DeSantis has signed an Executive Order to extend vaccinations to: long-term care facility residents and staff, individuals 60 years of age and older, health care personnel with direct patient contact, K-12 school employees 50 years of age and older, sworn law enforcement officers 50 years of age and older, and firefighters 50 years of age and older. In addition, individuals who are medically vulnerable to COVID-19 may also be vaccinated if they have been certified by their physician with this form published by the Florida Department of Health.
For more information on vaccines in Hillsborough County, you can visit their website or this Frequently Asked Questions Fact Sheet in English or Spanish .
Here is the additional information on coronavirus vaccination in Hillsborough County.
Unemployment insurance
Direct payments to individuals & their families
In December, Congress enacted a COVID relief package that provided a direct payment of $600 per person. The American Rescue Plan Act builds on that down payment, providing another $1,400 per person.
Under the American Rescue Plan, single filers with incomes up to $75,000, head of household filers with incomes up to $112,500, and joint filers with incomes up to $150,000 will receive the full payment of $1,400. The payment is completely phased out for single filers making $80,000, head of household filers making $120,000, and joint filers making $160,000.
Click here for FAQs from the IRS. For questions about the Direct Cash Payment, please call the IRS helpline at 800-919-9835.
Additionally, the American Rescue Plan makes the Child Tax Credit fully refundable for 2021 and increases the annual amount from the current $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child ($3,600 for a child under age 6). The Department of Treasury will issue advance payments of the child tax credit, based on parents’ 2019 or 2020 tax returns. Parents could receive regular periodic monthly advance payment of the tax credit to ensure families have access to assistance throughout the year, rather than just at tax time. The advance payments would begin on July 1, 2021.
Food assistance
Crisis Center of Tampa Bay (2-1-1): Referral service for community resources and social services.
Food Assistance for Seniors: Hillsborough County residents age 60 and older can apply for food assistance through Hillsborough County Aging Services. There is no income requirement to participate in the federally-funded program. For more information on receiving meals and to apply, call 813-272-5250.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly known as food stamps, ensures that Americans receive the food they need. SNAP recipients are now able to make eligible food purchases from Walmart and Amazon online using their EBT card. To apply for SNAP, create an account with Florida ACCESS. The American Rescue Plan provides $1.1 billion in additional SNAP administrative funds to states to help meet the demand of increased caseloads and $25 million to improve the state SNAP online pilots.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC) provides access to nutritious foods to low-income pregnant women or mothers. The American Rescue Plan added WIC recipients with special dietary needs to the list of vulnerable individuals eligible for the increase in Cash Value Vouchers.
To see if you are eligible for WIC benefits click here. To learn more about how to apply for WIC click here. To learn about WIC in Florida, click here.
Food banks
Congress has now secured $850 million in emergency funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to help food banks face increased utilization and demand in countless communities across the country due to the coronavirus.
The American Rescue Plan provides $3.6 billion for U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase food donations with commodity purchases from farmers for distribution to food banks, nonprofits, or restaurants, to help feed families and support farmers’ bottom lines.
Feeding Tampa Bay has a list of food distribution sites and events available online at feedingtampabay.org/find-a-pantry/
Tampa YMCA Veggie Van: The unique and colorful “Veggie Van” is distributing free pre-packaged bags of produce in several neighborhoods in Hillsborough County. No ID, paperwork or pre-screening is required to receive the food. Learn more on the Veggie Van’s Facebook page @tampaveggievan.
Metropolitan Ministries provides food, rent and utility assistance, and emergency shelter. Visit https://www.metromin.org/covid-19response/ or call 813-209-1000
Homeowners & renters protections
Mortgage Forbearance: Homeowners with FHA mortgages have the right to request forbearance on their payments through February 28, 2021.
Eviction Protections: Renters residing in public or assisted housing, or in a home or apartment whose owner has a federally-backed mortgage, and who are unable to pay their rent, are protected from eviction for 4 months. Property owners are also prohibited from issuing a 30-day notice to a tenant to vacate a property until after the 4-month moratorium ends. This protection covers properties that receive federal subsidies such as public housing, Section 8 assistance, USDA rural housing programs, and federally-issued or guaranteed mortgages. Renters whose landlord is not abiding by the moratorium should contact the relevant federal agency that administers their housing initiative or their local Legal Aid office.
Quick Response Assistance: In response to COVID19, Hillsborough County Social Services is offering limited rental payment assistance to eligible individuals and families. More information can be found here.
The American Rescue Plan provides:
• $27.5 Billion for Emergency Rental Assistance, to Help Ensure Struggling Families Continue to Have a Safe Place to Live During This Pandemic
• $10 Billion to Help Homeowners Struggling to Afford Their Housing as a Result of the Coronavirus Pandemic
• $4.75 billion for state and local governments – through the HOME Investment Partnership program – to finance supportive services, affordable housing and the acquisition of non-congregate shelter spaces for the hundreds of thousands of Americans experiencing homelessness during this pandemic.
Emergency paid leave
Small and midsize companies (500 or fewer employees) are no longer required to provide two weeks of paid sick leave. The American Rescue Plan, however, extended employer tax credits for paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave voluntarily provided to employees until September 30, 2021.
Small businesses
Small business forgivable loans & grants
The Paycheck Protection Program resumed on January 11, 2021. The American Rescue Plan includes $7.25 billion in additional funding for PPP and expands eligibility of 501(c) nonprofits of all sizes and types, except for 501(c)4 lobbying organizations. PPP loans can be forgiven when used for payroll costs (including paid leave, health care, and other costs) to retain workers, and other expenses such as rent, mortgage interest and utilities. Independent contractors, sole-proprietors and other self-employed persons are eligible for these loans. Eligible small businesses to apply now through their financial institution or community development financial institution.
Key PPP updates in the CAA:
• PPP borrowers can set their PPP loan’s covered period to be any length between 8 and 24 weeks to best meet their business needs;
• PPP loans can cover additional expenses, including operations expenditures, property damage costs, supplier costs, and worker protection expenditures;
• PPP's eligibility is expanded to include 501(c)(6)s, housing cooperatives, direct marketing organizations, among other types of organizations;
• PPP provides greater flexibility for seasonal employees;
• Certain existing PPP borrowers can request to modify their First Draw PPP Loan amount; and
• Certain existing PPP borrowers are now eligible to apply for a Second Draw PPP Loan.
A borrower is generally eligible for a Second Draw PPP Loan if they:
• Previously received a First Draw PPP Loan and will or has used the full amount only for authorized uses;
• Has no more than 300 employees; and
• Can demonstrate at least a 25% reduction in gross receipts between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020.
The American Rescue Plan created the Restaurant Revitalization Fund with $28.66 billion, a new program at the SBA to offer assistance to restaurants and bars hard hit by the pandemic. During the first 21 days, applications from restaurants owned and operated by women, veterans, or socially and economically disadvantaged individuals will receive priority.
Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) are low interest loans that provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Small businesses that apply for EIDLs can request an advance of up to $10,000. The American Rescue Plan includes an additional $15 billion for targeted EIDL Advances to help those who applied for relief in 2020 but did not receive the full $10,000 grant.
Paid Family & Sick Leave Tax Credit: Employers who provide required leave to their employees and who employ less than 500 employees are eligible for a tax credit to offset the costs of such leave. This tax relief will be provided against quarterly payroll taxes (those paid in connection the Form 941). For additional guidance, please refer to the IRS’s website.
Medium-sized businesses
Congress passed a fund administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury designed to provide low-interest bank financing to medium-sized businesses and nonprofits with 500 to 10,000 employees. As of now, we do not have information about the protocols for the administration of this fund. As soon as we have this information we will provide it to you.
Students & Educators
Student loan relief for borrowers
If you have student loan debt, Congress secured several options outlined below for borrowers that help provide relief:
• An extension of the federal student loan administrative forbearance period, the pause in interest accrual, and the suspension of collections activity through at least September 30, 2021.
• Federal student loan borrowers are not expected to make payments through September 30, 2021, though they will continue to be able to do so and benefit from the 0% interest rate as they pay down principal.
• Non-payments will continue to count toward the number of payments required under an income-driven repayment plan, a loan rehabilitation agreement, or the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
• For additional guidance on this critical relief, please refer to the U.S. Department of Education website.
The American Rescue Plan includes a provision to make any future student loan forgiveness passed between December 2020 and January 2026 not taxable income.
School meals
As more schools close due to coronavirus, Congress has provided emergency funding for Child Nutrition Programs to ensure students can still receive their free or reduced-price school meals during this time. To learn more, click here to learn more about what Florida is doing during this time.
Stabilization funding for education
Congress secured $30.75 billion in funding through the CARES Act for school districts, states and higher education institutions to ensure state resources and investments are not diverted from life-long learning. The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 provided $82 billion to the Education Stabilization Fund.
For additional guidance on how to apply and learn about next steps as this critical relief becomes available, please refer to the U.S. Department of Education website.
The American Rescue Plan makes nearly $130 billion available to states and school districts for immediate and long-term relief so they can work with public health experts to safely re-open schools and make up for lost time in the classroom. This includes:
• Repairing ventilation systems, reducing class sizes and implementing social distancing guidelines, purchasing personal protective equipment, and hiring support staff to care for students’ health and well-being.
• Ensures 20 percent of the funding that schools receive must be reserved to address and remediate learning loss among students.
The American Rescue Plan also includes several new provisions related to K-12 funding:
• Requires states to award K-12 funds to local school districts no later than 60 days after receipt and school districts to develop plans that ensure schools return to in-person learning;
• Dedicates $800 million to help meet the needs of homeless young people;
• Funds evidence-based summer enrichment at $1.3 billion and afterschool support initiatives also at $1.3 billion;
• Allocates $3 billion for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); and
• Provides $2.75 billion for states to award grants to private K-12 schools.
Resources & Information
Team Castor COVID-19 Quick Guide
COVID-19 Resource Toolkit
Lista de Recursos sobre COVID-19
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
