Emergency Coronavirus Bill: A relief package with implications for nonprofits and artist residencies

Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate passed the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” a bill that "has strong implications for the artist residency network," as the Alliance of Artists Communities noted recently.

March 18 UPDATE: "The Senate approved a relief package to provide sick leave, unemployment benefits, free coronavirus testing, and food and medical aid to people impacted by the pandemic, sending it to the president, who is expected to sign it," The New York Times reported.

As an email from the Alliance of Artists Communities states, the bill includes:

• "Mandated emergency paid leave for employees for qualified sick leave, family and medical leave, and to care for a child whose school has closed"
• "Refundable payroll tax credits for required emergency paid leave provided by employers with fewer than 500 employees (nonprofits are eligible for relief)"
• "Emergency funding to states for unemployment compensation"
• "Refundable individual tax credits for leave taken by self-employed workers for qualified sick leave, caring for a family member, or caring for a child whose school has closed"
• "Additional provisions related to nutrition assistance and cost-free COVID testing provisions for the uninsured"

Advocacy around this relief package is helpful to our communities and nonprofits will be eligible for relief in some capacity.

As reported by Newsweek, if signed into law by President Donald Trump, "the Families First CoronaVirus Response Act would ensure provisions for paid emergency leave for those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as free testing for those who need it."

Read The National Law Review article here.

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