The Heroes Act: A Comprehensive Relief Package for the COVID-19 Crisis

Strategic Insights -

The Heroes Act is a critical relief package aimed at addressing the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency and providing support for American families, essential workers, small businesses, hospitals, healthcare providers, and state and local governments. The bill, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, includes wide-ranging provisions to shore up state and local governments, support essential workers, expand testing and tracing, and increase direct relief to American families.

Key Takeaways:

  • **Shoring Up State and Local Governments:** The Heroes Act allocates $1 trillion to state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to support vital workers, including police officers, firefighters, healthcare workers, and teachers.
  • **Supporting America's Essential Workers:** The bill provides $200 billion to provide hazard pay to essential workers who have risked their lives delivering goods and services during the pandemic.
  • **Expanding Testing, Tracing, and Treatment:** The Heroes Act allocates $75 billion for COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, and isolation measures, additional support for hospitals and healthcare providers, and resources for free coronavirus treatment.
  • **Increasing Direct Relief to American Families:** The bill provides a second round of robust economic impact payments, including $1,200 per family member and up to $6,000 per household.
  • **Protecting Payrolls:** The Heroes Act helps businesses keep employees on the payroll by enhancing the new employee retention tax credit.
  • **Boosting Unemployment Benefits:** The bill extends weekly $600 federal unemployment payments through January 2021.
  • **Ensuring Worker Safety:** The Heroes Act requires the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue strong, enforceable standards for workplaces to implement infection control plans.
  • **Ensuring Safe and Accessible Elections:** The bill allocates $3.6 billion to help states conduct free, fair, and safe elections by expanding no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, and vote-by-mail efforts.
  • **Supporting Small Businesses and Nonprofits:** The Heroes Act strengthens the Payroll Protection Program to reach underserved communities, nonprofits, and provides $10 billion for COVID-19 emergency grants through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.
  • **Protecting Americans' Health Coverage:** The bill helps Americans keep their employer-provided health insurance with COBRA subsidies and creates a special enrollment period for uninsured Americans.
  • **Aiding Public Education:** The Heroes Act provides $90 billion to support state and local public education, including summer learning, afterschool programs, distance learning, and emergency financial aid for college students.
  • **Bolstering Housing Assistance:** The bill allocates $175 billion to help struggling families afford a safe place to live, help renters and homeowners make monthly rent, mortgage, and utility payments, and support other housing-related costs.
  • **Strengthening Food Security:** The Heroes Act increases the maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit by 15 percent and provides additional funding for nutrition programs to address rising hunger.

Statistics:

  • $1 trillion allocated for state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to support vital workers.
  • $200 billion allocated for hazard pay to essential workers.
  • $75 billion allocated for COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, and isolation measures.
  • $1,200 per family member in economic impact payments.
  • Up to $6,000 per household in economic impact payments.
  • 60 million Americans who can continue receiving paychecks and benefits through the employee retention tax credit.
  • $600 weekly federal unemployment payments extended through January 2021.
  • $3.6 billion allocated to help states conduct free, fair, and safe elections.
  • $10 billion allocated for COVID-19 emergency grants through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.
  • $90 billion allocated to support state and local public education.
  • $175 billion allocated to help struggling families afford a safe place to live and support housing-related costs.
  • 15 percent increase in the maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit.

Sources:

  • Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.), "The Heroes Act Will Deliver Critical Relief to Struggling Americans Across the Country"
  • Office of Congressman John Sarbanes, "Heroes Act" (H.R. 6800)