The House of Representatives introduced H.R. 6800, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, or the "HEROES Act". This $3 trillion proposal far exceeds the cost of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act, which is the largest stimulus bill in U.S. history.
A few highlights of the bill:
A few highlights of the bill:
- Food Security: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – Provides $10 billion to support anticipated increases in participation and to cover program cost increases related to flexibility provided to SNAP by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
- Housing Assistance:
- Homeless Assistance Grants – $11.5 billion for Emergency Solutions Grants to address the impact of coronavirus among individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and to support additional homeless assistance.
- Emergency Rental Assistance – $100 billion to provide emergency assistance to help low income renters at risk of homelessness avoid eviction.
- Stimulus Checks: It would include another one-time $1,200 payment for individuals who earn up to $75,000. Families could also receive $1,200 for up to three qualified dependents (unlike the $500 payment under the CARES Act).
- Health Care Provisions:
- Increases Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) payments to state Medicaid programs by a total of 14 percentage points starting July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.
- Covering the uninsured for COVID-19 treatment - Ensures that uninsured individuals whom states opt to cover through the new Medicaid eligibility pathway will be able to receive treatment for COVID-19 without cost-sharing during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
- State, Local, and Tribal Fiscal Relief :
- $500 billion in funding to assist state governments, $375 billion in funding to assist local governments ,$20 billion in funding to assist Tribal governments.
- Unemployment Benefits: Extension of Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation - would extend the $600 per week FPUC supplement to state and federal unemployment benefits through January 31, 2021.
- Elections: $3.6 billion for grants to States for contingency planning, preparation, and
resilience of elections for Federal office. - Census Bureaus: $400 million for expenses due to delays in the 2020 Decennial Census.
| H.R. 6800 Summary.pdf |
