COVID-19 Legislative Update: Week of April 20

Below is an update on recent developments on matters of importance to the membership of the Chamber during the COVID crisis.  Please review and take action by contacting your elected officials asking for further and balanced relief for Delaware’s County’s businesses, non-Profits and human services.

• Federal – 
  
  • Administration – Over the weekend, President Trump stated that 60,000 will likely be the number of expected deaths from COVID which is less than previous estimates.  However, upon concerns over the amount of deaths at nursing homes, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is now requiring all nursing homes to report any confirmed cases of COVID within their facilities. 
    
  • Congress – Both the Administration and Congressional leaders have indicated they are close to an agreement for a new COVID relief package.  In addition, a coalition of bipartisan US House members  recently announced a plan called “Back to Work” for re-opening the economy with a focus on mass testing.  Congress will be sure to debate this along with:
    
    • An additional $250 to $310billion into the Payment Protection Program to help small businesses.
      
    • $60 billion for an emergency leading program.
      
    • $100 billion grant program for hospitals, healthcare providers and Medicare and Medicaid enrolled suppliers.
      
• State –
  
  • Administration – This week Governor Tom Wolf stated he would veto two bills passed by the state legislature earlier in the week that would begin to reopen the state’s economy by following federal guidelines and allowing county input. However, the Governor also announced his Plan for Pennsylvania for relief re-opening and recvory.  He stated a gradual re-opening of the state’s economy to be handled by regions with more specifics on dates next week and along the following Reopening Principles:
    • Data driven approach reliant upon quantifiable criteria to drive a targeted, evidence-based, regional approach to reopenings in Pennsylvania.
    • Guidance and recommendations for employers, individuals, and health care facilities and providers for assured accountability as we reopen.
    • Reopening necessitates that adequate personal protective equipment and diagnostic testing are available.
    • Reopening requires a monitoring and surveillance program that allows the commonwealth to deploy swift actions for containment or mitigation.
    • Protections for vulnerable populations must remain steadfast throughout the reopening process, such as limitations on visitors to congregate care facilities and prisons.
    • Limitations on large gatherings unrelated to occupations should remain in place for the duration of the reopening process.

 
Other Info release by the Governor include:

• ​The Governor’s 20-21 proposed budget includes a  Pennsylvania innovation plan that proposes a $12.35 million funding increase to drive an evidence-based, statewide innovation strategy.
• Vigorous financial support for small businesses, both short term to limit the number of businesses that would otherwise have to close their doors for good while we shelter in place, and long term as small businesses restructure and recover in a post-COVID-19 economy.
• Recapitalization of the COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program (CWCA) to provide relief to businesses that will still need working capital funds to reopen after the shutdown. 
• The creation of a grant program for our smallest businesses, which make no more than $3 million in gross annual receipts or employ up to 30 full-time employees.  
• Economic development incentives to attract companies willing to create and retain good-paying jobs.
• Creation of a construction job tax credit for manufacturing or processing facilities to receive a tax credit that is created during the construction phase.
• Exploration of residential and commercial/business construction incentives to stimulate new development.
• Exploration of manufacturing tax credits for manufacturers who convert or retrofit their facilities or operations in order to produce personal protective equipment to help with the COVID-19 response.
• Provide a tax credit for businesses that convert or retrofit their existing facility and operations to produce or aid in the production of PPE to assist with COVID-19 response.
• Investment, upgrade, and extension of Pennsylvania’s broadband network to ensure all Pennsylvanians have access to the internet.
• Resources for students, families, workers and/or incentivizing businesses to expand access to broadband to support remote learning and job search activities (e.g. hot spots, grants for internet, etc.).
• Develop a donation drive for laptops and mobile hotspots and repurpose excess state- owned hotspots to kick off the drive with a partnership between the Department of Community and Economic Development and the Department of Education. Encourage private and public partners to donate their unused or surplus of hotspot devices for students in need.
• Investments in our diverse agriculture industry, robust food processing sector, farmers markets, and the many industries that support a safe food supply. While this industry is life-sustaining, it has suffered a severe disruption in its supply chain, and recovery must ensure the certainty and future of Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry to continue to produce a safe, secure food supply.
• Governor Wolf proposed full funding of $23.1 million for the historic PA Farm Bill in his FY 20-21 budget proposal, in addition to a $1 million increase to the PA Agriculture Surplus System (PASS) Program to improve food security while supporting PA agriculture. PA Farm Bill programs such as the Small Meat Processor grants, Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grants and the Ag Business Development Center all help to increase processing infrastructure and strengthen local food systems, and provide tools to help producers bring more products to market and plan a path to recovery and resiliency. 
• Pennsylvania products at grocery stores and farmers markets. This investment would leverage additional federal dollars. 
• Fund and codify in statute the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative to provide grants and low-interest loans for the construction, rehabilitation, or expansion of grocery stores, farmers markets, and other healthy food retail establishments in low- to moderate-income areas in need and other underserved communities.
• H2A employers and employees pay into the UC fund even though those workers aren’t eligible for UC. Changing this requirement to pay into the state’s unemployment fund would save money for our farm families and their seasonal H-2A employees. 
• Robust funding for nonprofit organizations and local governments with less than 500,000 residents.
• Investment and upgrades for the commonwealth’s mass transit systems, highway, and bridge infrastructure.

 

• PA Legislature - Both the PA House and Senate return this week for newly scheduled Session days.  Bills up for consideration may include:
  • HB1189 - for COVID-19 healthcare professionals & for volunteer emergency responders employer tax credit; and, in general provisions, for extensions for COVID-19 disaster emergency.
  • HB2400 – re-opens the Construction industry
  • HB2388 - Which will require the Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development to issue a waiver to the Governor’s order to allow all car dealerships to open.
  • HB 2412  - Re-opens the real estate industry.  House State Government MONDAY - 4/20/20
  • HB 2206 (Mackenzie) -- Cleans up the Administrative Code to reflect the 2012 consolidation of the Pennsylvania Securities Commission with Department of Banking (creating DOBS), as well as repealing language that established the Board to License Private Bankers.
    • An amendment will fix three references to "Commission" in the bill, which needed to be replaced with "Department."
  • HB 2369 (Gaydos/Solomon) -- Amends the Job Enhancement Act, Chapter 25 Community Development Block Grant and Loan Program, to add two new loan programs for PA businesses that employ 50 or fewer individuals-- Rapid relief loans (following a Governor-declared disaster declaration, loans up to $75K, with no interest for the first 9 months) and Resilient recovery loans (specific to COVID-19, loans up to $250K). The bill language includes a $7.5 M appropriation to PEDFA for rapid relief loans and a $2.5M appropriation for Resilient recovery loans.
    • There will be a gut and replace amendment that creates the COVID-19 Grant and Loan program. To the extent money is made available, the program would make grants and loans to COVID-19 impacted businesses.
  • HB 2370 (Keller, M.) -- Authorizes a notary to perform remote notarizations in PA.
    • There will be an amendment to make HB 2370 consistent with SB 1097 (Mastriano).
  • HB 2386 (Mehaffie) -- Creates the freestanding COVID-19 Disaster Emergency Business Interruption Grant program to provide grants to businesses that are denied business interruption insurance claims during the COVID-19 disaster emergency.
    • There will be an amendment offered to exclude nonprofits from qualifying, limit the program to businesses of 200 employees or less, and add an annual report.
  
  
  • Representative David Delloso introduced HB2362 to allow for job protections of people who are forced to miss work because they have been quarantined by the government or medical community.  Rep Jen O’Mara has is working on legislation to eliminate the burden of proof on employees of life-sustaining businesses and occupations who have contracted COVID-19.  Senator Tom Killion is also introducing legislation for a grant program specifically for non-profit organizations impacted by COVID and a bill to provide state zero interest loans to small businesses.

 

• County –
  • Delaware County has been facilitating aid through the County’s Emergency Services Department as well as Services for the Aging (COSA) and Community Transit.