{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.schatz.senate.gov/press-releases/schatz-help-is-on-the-way-new-covid-19-relief-deal-includes-at-least-17-billion-for-hawaii", "Schatz: Help Is On The Way, New COVID-19 Relief Deal Includes At Least $1.7 Billion For Hawaii", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "HI", "Brian Schatz", "S001194", "www.schatz.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Schatz: Help Is On The Way, New COVID-19 Relief Deal Includes At Least $1.7 Billion For Hawaii \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t New Funding For Unemployment Assistance, Small Businesses, Rent Relief, Vaccine Distribution, Schools, Hospitals, Food Programs; COVID-19 Relief Package Included In Annual Must-Pass Funding Bill \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 21, 2020\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWASHINGTON  Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) announced that Hawaii will receive at least $1.7 billion in estimated funding from a new $900 billion COVID-19 relief package. The bipartisan deal  the second largest emergency relief package in American history  includes funding for unemployment assistance, and aid for small businesses, schools, vaccine distribution, hospitals, and health care workers.\r\nHelp is on the way. This relief package will help those who've lost their job or can't make rent. It provides more money for businesses, and gives our state, hospitals, and health care providers more resources to distribute the vaccine and fight this pandemic, said Senator Schatz. While it's not enough, and we still have more work to do, this will provide help immediately.\r\nThe COVID-19 relief package was included in the annual spending bill, which includes additional money for Hawaii for housing, roads, public transit, and infrastructure, as well as Native Hawaiian health and education programs.\r\nKey provisions in the COVID-19 relief package include:\r\nUnemployment assistance  extension of unemployment insurance to help those who have lost their jobs or are experiencing reduced incomes.\r\n \r\nAt least $200 million in estimated funding will go to helping unemployed Hawaii workers.\r\nAvailable to self-employed individuals, part-time workers, independent contractors, and gig workers, including ride-sharing drivers.\r\nCovers those who are sick, quarantined, furloughed, or whose family circumstances keep them from working or reduce their pay as a result of the coronavirus outbreak or government containment efforts.\r\nAid will cover salaries up to about $65,000 for 3 months with an additional $300 per week.\r\n \r\nRent relief and eviction moratorium  An estimated $200 million to help Hawaii residents who lost their job or saw a significant reduction in income due to the pandemic to make rent.\r\n \r\nProvides a 30-day extension of the CDC's current eviction moratorium to January 31, 2021.\r\nAt least 90 percent of the funds must be used for payment of future rent, back rent, utilities and home energy bills, and related housing expenses; and up to 10 percent of the funds are available for housing counseling or other stability services.\r\nIncludes an additional $2.4 million for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.\r\n \r\nSmall businesses and non-profits  provides $325 billion nationally for small businesses, including restaurants, hotels, live venues, and non-profits.\r\n \r\n$284 billion in partially forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to small businesses and non-profits to maintain existing workforce and help pay for other expenses like rent, mortgage, and utilities.\r\n\r\nThe hardest-hit small businessesthose with 300 or fewer employees that have sustained a 25 percent revenue loss in any quarter of 2020can receive a second forgivable PPP loan.\r\nForgivable expenses are expanded to include supplier costs, investments in facility modifications, and purchases of personal protective equipment.\r\nBusiness expenses paid for with PPP loans are now tax deductible, consistent with Congressional intent in the CARES Act.\r\nExpanded eligibility for nonprofits, local newspapers, and TV and radio broadcasters.\r\nPPP forgiveness process simplified for loans of $150,000 or less, eliminating red tape and making loan forgiveness easier for small businesses.\r\n$20 billion for Small Business Administration (SBA) emergency grant advances of up to $10,000 to provide immediate relief for small business operating costs.\r\n$15 billion for grants to independent live venue operators, including eligible independent movie theatres and museums, affected by stay-at-home orders.\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\nVaccine distribution and procurement  provides nearly $32 billion nationally, including $4.5 billion directly to states and localities and an estimated $35 million to Hawaii, to help distribute and administer COVID-19 vaccines.\r\nTesting and contact tracing  provides $22.4 billion nationally for testing and contact tracing, including at least $150 million in estimated funding to Hawaii. This funding will expand capacity for COVID-19 testing to effectively monitor and suppress COVID19, conduct surveillance and contact tracing activities, and support other COVID-19 mitigation efforts.\r\nHospitals and health care providers  provides $3 billion nationally, including an estimated $5 million for Hawaii providers, to help health care providers through the Provider Relief Fund, extends relief from the Medicare sequester through March 2021, and increases payments under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for all services by 3.75 percent for 2021.\r\nMental health  includes more than $4 billion nationally for several mental health programs, including the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant, and suicide prevention programs.\r\nDirect cash payments  provides a one-time cash payment to millions of Americans.\r\n \r\nMore than $700 million is estimated to go to Hawaii residents.\r\nIndividuals will get $600 (joint filers get $1,200) plus $600 per child.\r\nBenefits start to phase out for those with incomes exceeding $150,000 for married couples, $75,000 for singles, and $112,500 for single parents.\r\nPayments will not go to single filers earning more than $87,000; head-of-household filers with one child, more than $136,500; and more than $174,000 for joint filers with no children.\r\nSocial Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries will be eligible for this cash payment.\r\nExpands direct payments to households with mixed immigration status, retroactive to the CARES Act.\r\n \r\nEducation  provides at least an estimated $200 million for Hawaii schools, which can be used to support teacher salaries, including:\r\n \r\nAn estimated $4.4 million for Hawaii in the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund, which provides both K-12 schools and institutions of higher education with emergency assistance funding;\r\nAn estimated $178 million for Hawaii in Elementary and Secondary School (K-12) Emergency Relief Funding with eligibility for Native Hawaiian Education Programs specifically included; and\r\nAccess to additional funding from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund to support Hawaii's colleges and universities; and\r\nAt least $20 million in estimated funding for Hawaii to support Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions.\r\n \r\nChild care  $10 billion for grants for child care providers, including an estimated $25 million or more for Hawaii.\r\nNative-serving community lenders  provides $25 million nationally in grants to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) serving Native Hawaiian, Alaska Native, and other Native American communities across the country to help them withstand the economic impacts of the pandemic.\r\nTransportation  provides at least $128 million in estimated funding for Hawaii to support transportation and airport services including:\r\n \r\n$60 million to ensure that transit services in Hawaii continue operating with enhanced safety procedures for passengers and staff;\r\n$42 million to continue funding for critical highway projects;\r\n$26 million for Hawaii airports. Funds can be used for operations and expenses related to coronavirus safety procedures as well as a set-aside for aide to in-terminal airport concessions and other service providers;\r\nAccess to $2 billion in national funding to transportation service companies, such as tour bus operators. At least 60 percent of the funding must be used to retain or rehire staff; and\r\nAccess to $15 billion in national funding to airlines for workforce salaries and benefits to prevent layoffs.\r\n \r\nCoronavirus Relief Fund extension  includes a one-year extension of the CARES Act's Coronavirus Relief Fund, providing state and county governments with more time to expend their allocations. The new deadline is December 31, 2021.\r\nBroadband internet  provides at least $7 billion nationally to improve broadband infrastructure, expand access high-speed internet, including:\r\n \r\nAt least $30 million in funding for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands;\r\n$3.2 billion nationally in an Emergency Broadband Benefit to help low-income Americans get connected or remain connected to broadband;\r\n$250 million nationally for a new telehealth pilot program;\r\n$300 million national grant program to fund broadband in rural areas; and\r\n$65 million to improve U.S. broadband maps.\r\n \r\nFood and nutrition programs  provides $13 billion nationally for nutrition programs, including an increase of 15 percent in monthly SNAP benefits to ensure that all Americans receive the food they need. The bill also provides funding for food banks, food pantries, school meal programs, and other nutrition programs.\r\nAgricultural producers and fisheries  provides $13 billion nationally to support agriculture, fisheries, and rural communities, including:\r\n \r\n$9.7 billion for assistance to farmers and ranchers, including specialty crops, and floriculture;\r\n$1.5 billion to purchase food, agricultural products, and seafood for individuals in need; and\r\n$300 million for assistance to commercial, recreational, and tribal fisheries.\r\n \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.schatz.senate.gov/press-releases/schatz-help-is-on-the-way-new-covid-19-relief-deal-includes-at-least-17-billion-for-hawaii"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6295630484819412, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}