Aids the health care industry responding to the pandemic:
• Provides an additional $100 billion for hospitals
• Provides $11 billion for vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other medical needs
• Provides $1.5 billion in support for local, state, and federal public health agencies
• Opens up telehealth access for home-based services, community health centers, and rural health centers and provides an additional $1.3 billion for community health centers to treat COVID-19 patients
• Provides direct and immediate financial relief to Texans: • Allots $1,200 checks to each Texan making less than $75,000 annually ($2,400 for a couple making less than $150,000 annually), plus $500 per child
• Allows Texans to access their retirement plans for coronavirusrelated expenses without an early withdrawal penalty
• Allows Texans to defer student loan payments for 6 months with no penalty or interest
• Incentivizes charitable giving by temporarily increasing the amount Texans can deduct from their taxes for charitable contributions, and allows
• Expands unemployment insurance (UI) for Texas workers:
• Provides an extra $600 weekly federal UI benefit on top of the state maximum temporarily
• Funds an additional 13 weeks of federally-funded unemployment eligibility for individuals after they’ve exhausted state UI benefits through the end of the year
• Temporarily expands UI eligibility to include the self-employed, independent contractors, those with limited work history, railroad workers, and those who worked at non-profit entities
• Injects targeted funding to state and local entities:
• $150 billion for state and local governments, allotted based on population (any city or county with more than 500,000 residents can petition the U.S. treasury directly for funding)
• $272 billion in targeted funding for state and local assistance, including:
– State, local, and tribal governments
– Hospitals and health care workers
– Law enforcement and first responders
– Scientists researching treatments and vaccines
– Small businesses struggling to pay their employees
– Local schools and universities
– Affordable housing and homelessness assistance programs
– The purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical equipment
• Offers relief for Texas businesses:
– Provides $500 billion in secured loans to affected businesses and establishes an Inspector General and Oversight Board to provide accountability for the loan program
– Provides $350 billion for SBA interruption loans
– Provides bankruptcy relief for Texas small businesses by raising the maximum debt threshold for eligibility, so that more small- and medium-sized businesses can get through bankruptcy faster and more easily
– Delays the employer payroll tax
– Increases the amount of deductible business interest allowed
To view the entire Senate bill - S.3548 - go to: https:// www.congress.gov/bill/116thcongress/senate-bill/3548/text