This past week, Congress approved a historic $2 trillion in economic relief for working families in
Alabama and across the country, and resources for our strained hospitals and struggling small businesses. While this won’t be the last
legislation we’ll need to pass to address this crisis, this was a major step forward to help folks on the frontlines in our health care system
and to shore up our small businesses and their workers. I’m proud to say that our final
legislation included: Help for Workers and Families
- Expanded Unemployment Benefits: up to 4 months
of unemployment insurance benefits instead of 3 months, with an additional $600 benefit per week. In total, unemployed workers could receive 39 weeks
of unemployed benefits, through the end of 2020.
- Expanded Unemployment Eligibility:
part-time, self-employed, gig economy, and furloughed workers can access benefits. Furloughed workers could keep their company health insurance plans
and be eligible for weekly unemployment benefits from Alabama.
- Direct payments: up to
$1,200 for single tax-filers that make $75,000 or less, and $2,400 for joint-filers that make $150,000 or less. Families would receive an additional
$500 per child.
- Extended Tax Deadline: the federal tax filing and payment
deadline has been extended from April 15 to July 15. Alabama has already announced it will delay the state deadline to July 15 as well.
Resources for Health Care Providers and
Patients - $150 billion to help
hospitals and health care providers who are on the front lines of this pandemic.
- Provides
$3.5 billion in additional funding to provide child care assistance to health care sector employees, emergency responders, sanitation workers, and
other workers deemed essential during the response to the coronavirus regardless of income eligibility requirements.
- My bipartisan legislation requiring
insurance companies to cover the costs of a future approved COVID-19 vaccine.
- My bipartisan
legislation to establish a Ready Reserve Corps to ensure vital
health care jobs are filled when disasters strike in the United States.
Increased Funding for States and Local Governments
- $150 billion for a state, tribal, and local Coronavirus Relief fund. Alabama will
receive no less than $1.25 billion under this fund.
Support and Debt Relief for Students and Schools
- $31 billion for an Education Stabilization Fund, provides federal student loan cancelation for period
affected by COVID-19, and suspends federal student loan payments without accrual of interest until September 30,2020.
- After I urged Senate leadership to provide $1 billion to Historically Black Colleges and other minority-serving institutions,
this funding was included in the legislation.
Additional Assistance for Small Business
- $10 billion for SBA emergency grants of up to $10,000 in advance, for a loan of up to $2 million, to provide immediate
relief for small business operating costs.
- Provisions I supported to help small businesses
continue to make payroll for employees, including $350 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program and $10 billion for SBA Economic Injury Disaster
Loans. If you a run a small business or a non-profit, visit SBA.gov or check out these resources for more information and see if you qualify for
assistance.
Housing
Stability
- Included in the package was my bill to prevent landlords from evicting renters for 120 days during the coronavirus crisis from
properties that receive federal subsidies such as public housing and Section 8 assistance, as well as properties with federally-backed mortgage
loans.
NEW: Detailed COVID-19 Resources for Alabamians As a reminder, please stay home and practice social
distancing as much as possible. If you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms including fever, cough, and shortness of breath,
please immediately contact your health care provider to get guidance about whether you may or may not need to be tested. You can also call the Alabama
Department of Public Health at 1-888-264-2256 or visit their website. I
know this is hard on everyone and I understand folks are frustrated, isolated, and anxious. But the more we can each do to take steps today that will
limit the spread of the virus, the better off we’ll all be down the road. It will save lives. It will get our economy back on track once we get
a handle on this virus. One thing I know for sure is that Alabamians are strong, and we will get through this.
Please stay healthy and be smart. If you have any questions about the relief bill or need assistance with accessing these new resources,
please reach out to my office here.
Sincerely, 
Doug Jones
Senator for Alabama
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