$2.2 Trillion Rescue Plan Summary

The Senate approved a historic $2 trillion rescue plan to respond to the economic and health crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The first coronavirus package (Public Law 116-123) provided about $8 billion in emergency funds, while the second (Public Law 116-127) expanded unemployment insurance and created emergency sick leave programs for affected workers. And this is the third package.

This summary covers the spending portion of the phase three measure (provided by BGov).

Health and Human Services Department

The measure’s HHS funding would total about $140.4 billion, according to a committee summary, and would include:

• $100 billion for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to reimburse eligible health-care providers for health-care expenses or lost revenue directly attributable to the coronavirus. Funding could go to public entities, providers enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, and other for-profit and nonprofit entities that provide diagnoses, testing, or care for individuals with Covid-19.
• $27 billion for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund for coronavirus preparation and response, such as vaccines, countermeasures, and medical surge capacity. The bill would set aside at least $3.5 billion for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, and as much as $16 billion for the Strategic National Stockpile.
• $4.3 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of which at least $1.5 billion would be provided to state, local, and tribal entities. Another $500 million would be reserved for global disease detection and response and $500 million for public health data surveillance and analytics infrastructure.
• $3.5 billion for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Child Care and Development Block Grant. Money could be used to support child care providers that are closed or had a drop in enrollment.
• $1.87 billion for ACF’s children and families services programs, which includes $1 billion for the Community Services Block Grant and $750 million for Head Start.
• $1.03 billion for the Indian Health Service, which could be used for surveillance, testing capacity, community health representatives, public health support, telehealth, and other activities.
• $955 million for aging and disability programs operated by the Administration for Community Living.
• $945 million for the National Institutes of Health, including $706 million for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
• $900 million for the ACF Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
• $425 million for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, of which $250 million would go to Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.
• $275 million for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund for other health needs, including $90 million for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.
• $200 million for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services program management account.
• $80 million for the Food and Drug Administration for countermeasure development, advanced product manufacturing, and supply monitoring.

Lab Reporting Changes: Labs that run coronavirus testing would have to report the results from each test to HHS during the emergency period. The measure would repeal a provision in the second coronavirus package requiring state and local governments to ensure State Emergency Operations Centers receive reporting on aggregated data on testing from public health departments.

Transportation Department

The Transportation Department would receive more than $31 billion, including:

• $25 billion for Federal Transit Administration grants that could be used for operating expenses relating to the coronavirus, including lost revenue, purchasing personal protective equipment, and preventative maintenance and cleaning.
• $10 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program. At least $500 million would be available to allow for a 100% federal share for grants provided under the fiscal 2020 appropriations law (Public Law 116-94). The measure would provide a separate $56 million for the Essential Air Service that preserves operations at smaller airports.
• $1 billion for Amtrak, including $526 million for National Network Grants and $492 million for Northeast Corridor Grants. The bill would require weekly reports on employee furloughs related to the coronavirus and would require that employees have the opportunity to be recalled when service is restored to pre-March 1 levels.

USDA & Food Programs

The Agriculture Department would receive:

• $15.8 billion in mandatory funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps, of which $100 million would be used for food distribution on American Indian reservations.
• $9.5 billion for the Office of the Secretary to provide aid to agricultural producers affected by the virus.
• $8.8 billion for child nutrition programs.
• $450 million for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), of which $150 million could be used for costs associated with distribution.

The measure would allow the Commodity Credit Corporation to use as much as $14 billion in previous funding to reimburse net realized losses.

Defense Department

The Defense Department would receive about $10.5 billion, including:

• $3.81 billion for the Defense Health Program to respond to the coronavirus.
• $1.9 billion for various service branch Operation and Maintenance accounts.
• $1.45 billion for working capital funds.
• $1.1 billion for TRICARE contracts under the Defense Health Program.
• $1 billion for procurement expenses incurred under the Defense Production Act.
• $746.6 million for Army National Guard personnel.
• $482.1 million for Air Force National Guard personnel.

The measure would permit the president to extend some appointments, including the chief of Army Reserve, chief of Navy Reserve, chief of staff of the Air Force, and chief of Space Operations.

It also would bar the transfer or merging of provided funds with amounts in the department’s drug interdiction and counterdrug activities account. The language is intended to bar the use of emergency funding for border-related infrastructure.

Education Department

The bill would create a $30.8 billion Education Stabilization Fund relating to the coronavirus.

The secretary would reserve as much as 2% for specified purposes, then divide the remainder up as follows: 43.9% for elementary and secondary school emergency relief grants, 46.3% for higher education, and 9.8% for grants to state governors. Assistance could go to nonpublic schools in some instances.

The measure also would provide $100 million for “Safe Schools and Citizenship Education,” which could be used by elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools for cleaning affected schools, counseling, and distance learning.

Veterans Affairs Department

The VA would receive nearly $20 billion, including:

• $14.4 billion for medical services.
• $2.15 billion for information technology systems.
• $2.1 billion for medical community care.
• $606 million for medical facilities.
• $150 million for grants for construction of state extended care facilities.
• $100 million for Medical Support and Compliance.

The measure would allow the VA to enter into short-term contracts with telecommunications companies to provide temporary broadband services to support expanded mental health services to isolated veterans through telehealth or VA Video Connect during a public health emergency. It also would support veterans obtaining prosthetics from outside the VA and waive pay caps on VA employees.

FEMA & Other DHS Funds

Funding for the Homeland Security Department would total $45.9 billion.

The measure would provide $45 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund. Another $400 million would be provided for grants overseen by FEMA.

It would provide $140.8 million for the Coast Guard, $100 million for the Transportation Security Administration, and $178.3 million for needs across the department.

HUD Programs

Funding for the Housing and Urban Development Department would include:

• $5 billion for the Community Development Fund, which funds the Community Development Block Grant program.
• $4 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants.
• $1.25 billion for tenant-based rental assistance.
• $1 billion for project-based rental assistance.
• $685 million for the Public Housing Operating Fund.
• $300 million for Native American Programs.

Other Major Allocations

Interior: Interior Department funding would include:

• $453 million for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to deep clean facilities, purchase equipment to improve teleworking, and purchase personal protective equipment. An additional $69 million would be provided to the Bureau of Indian Education for similar activities.
• $158.4 million for supplies and equipment to clean buildings and public areas supporting law enforcement and emergency management operations.
• $55 million for Insular Affairs to assist U.S. territories.

State-Foreign Operations: State-Foreign Operations funding would include:

• $350 million for migration and refugee assistance.
• $324 million for diplomatic programs.
• $258 million for international disaster assistance.
• $88 million for the Peace Corps.

The measure would allow the State Department to provide medical services for U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents abroad, as well as third-country nationals connected to them or to U.S. missions abroad if they’re unable to obtain such help. It also would allow the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to offer additional paid leave to employees relating to the coronavirus, which would be retroactive to leave provided since Jan. 29 and extend through Sept. 30, 2022.

The legislation also would authorize the replenishment of U.S. contributions to international organizations, with $3 billion for the World Bank’s International Development Association, $7.3 billion for the African Development Bank, and $513.9 million for the African Development Fund. It also would authorize increasing the International Finance Corporation’s capital stock and supporting borrowing at the International Monetary Fund.

Other Agencies: The bill also would provide:

• $1.9 billion for the Commerce Department. Most of that amount, $1.5 billion, would be provided to the Economic Development Administration to respond to “economic injury” resulting from the coronavirus outbreak.
• $1 billion for the Justice Department, including $850 million for state and local law enforcement assistance.
• $562 million for Small Business Administration disaster loans.
• $400 million for election security grants that would be distributed by the Election Assistance Commission.
• $360 million for the Labor Department, of which $345 million would be for the Employment and Training Administration.
• $300 million for the Social Security Administration.
• $275 million for the General Services Administration Federal Buildings Fund.
• $250 million for the Internal Revenue Service to cover costs associated with delaying tax filing deadlines and implementing tax changes under the second coronavirus measure.
• $200 million for the Federal Communications Commission, including to help health-care providers with telecommunications services, information services, and devices to enable telemedicine.
• $93 million for the Legislative Branch, including money to support teleworking.
• $75 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Corporation for Public Broadcasting, plus $50 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services and $25 million for the Kennedy Center.
• $70 million for the Army Corps of Engineers.

Other Provisions

Aid Oversight: The measure would provide $80 million for a Pandemic Response Accountability Committee that would oversee loans and other funds provided to nonfederal entities under the bill and other coronavirus response laws.

The committee would be established within the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. It would include inspectors general of relevant departments and an executive director selected with congressional input.

The committee would detect and prevent fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, and identify major risks. Its tasks would include conducting audits, and reviewing grant and contract reporting and program administration. It could issue subpoenas to compel testimony.

Suspected violations of criminal law would be reported to the Justice Department.

Information on how the funds are used would have to be posted to a public website. Federal agencies would have to report monthly on any use of coronavirus funds that exceeds $150,000.

The committee would terminate on Sept. 30, 2025.

Energy: The package would extend through fiscal 2022 the Energy Department’s authority to draw down and sell crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and to deposit the proceeds into the Energy Security and Infrastructure Modernization Fund.

It also would spread over three years a requirement in the fiscal 2020 appropriations law to sell $450 million from the SPR to fund the reserve’s Life Extension II project. The measure would provide about $100 million for the department’s Office of Science.

Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund: The measure would also change the treatment of money appropriated from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. Any such amount would be subtracted from the Army Corps’ estimated discretionary budget authority, effectively reducing the amount of funding in a bill that would count toward 302(b) allocations or spending caps. The total reduction couldn’t exceed the amount deposited in the fund in the previous fiscal year.

The change wouldn’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2021, or the enactment of a new water resources development act, whichever occurs first.

Other Changes: The measure also would:

• Allow the use of video conferencing or teleconferencing for criminal proceedings.
• Delay REAL ID requirements until at least Sept. 30, 2021.
• Extend the DHS Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards program through July 23, 2020.
• Provide emergency authority to the Copyright Office to modify timing provisions.