The supplemental appropriations section of the coronavirus economic stimulus package agreed to by Senate leaders and the White House is expected to total $330 billion, according to a summary circulated Wednesday ahead of the official release.
Almost one-third of that, $100 billion, is direct aid to hospitals and other health care providers and suppliers.
Final details of the bill were still being worked out late Wednesday morning, according to a source in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office.
Here is how the package is summarized:
$100 billion for a new program to provide direct aid to health care institutions on the front line of the pandemic — hospitals, public entities, nonprofits, and Medicare and Medicaid enrolled suppliers and institutional providers — to cover costs related to the public health crisis.
$16 billion to replenish the Strategic National Stockpile supplies of pharmaceuticals, personal protective equipment and other medical supplies, which are distributed to state and local health agencies, hospitals and other health care entities facing shortages during emergencies.
$3.5 billion for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to expand the production of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics to help combat the pandemic.
At least $250 million to expand the Hospital Preparedness Program’s support of emergency preparedness, including the National Ebola and Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC), regional, state and local special pathogens treatment centers, and hospital preparedness cooperative agreements.
$1 billion for the Defense Production Act to bolster domestic supply chains, enabling industry to quickly ramp up production of personal protective equipment, ventilators and other urgently needed medical supplies, and billions of dollars more for federal, state and local health agencies to purchase such equipment.
$4.3 billion to support federal, state and local public health agencies to prevent, prepare for and respond to the coronavirus, including for the purchase of personal protective equipment; laboratory testing to detect positive cases; infection control and mitigation at the local level to prevent the spread of the virus; and other public health preparedness and response activities.
$200 million for CMS to assist nursing homes with infection control and support states’ efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus in nursing homes.
$45 billion for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to provide for the immediate needs of state, local, tribal and territorial governments to protect citizens and help them recover from the overwhelming effects of COVID-19. Reimbursable activities may include medical response, personal protective equipment, National Guard deployment, coordination of logistics, safety measures and community services nationwide.
$400 million for FEMA grants, including:
- $100 million Assistance to Firefighter Grants to provide personal protective equipment, supplies and reimbursements.
- $100 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants, which focus on emergency preparedness.
- $200 million for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, which provides shelter, food and supportive services through local service organizations.
$200 million for CMS to assist nursing homes with infection control and support CMS and states as they work to save lives and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes.
$30.75 billion for grants to provide emergency support to local school systems and higher education institutions to continue to provide educational services to students and support the ongoing functionality of school districts and institutions.
$260 million for Navy operations and maintenance, including funds to support the deployment of the USNS Comfort hospital ship to New York City and the USNS Mercy to Los Angeles.
Nearly $1.5 billion for National Guard support to states and territories to support Title 32 operations, which have been ordered to commence in New York, California and Washington state.
$3.5 billion in additional funding for the Child Care Development Block Grant to provide child care assistance to health care sector employees, emergency responders, sanitation workers and other workers deemed essential during the response to the coronavirus.
More than $7 billion for affordable housing and homelessness assistance programs. This funding will help low-income and working-class Americans avoid evictions and minimize any impacts caused by loss of employment and child care or other unforeseen circumstances related to COVID-19.
$25 billion in aid to transit systems to help protect public health and safety while ensuring access to jobs, medical treatment, food and other essential services.
$10 billion in grants for airports as the aviation sector grapples with the most steep and potentially sustained decline in air travel in history.
More than $6.5 billion in federal funding for Community Development Block Grants, the Economic Development Administration and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership to help mitigate the local economic crisis and rebuild impacted industries such as tourism or manufacturing supply chains.
Funding to strengthen response capacity and support tribal communities, including:
- $1.03 billion to the Indian Health Service to support tribal health care system response efforts;
- $100 million more for the USDA Food Distribution Program for American Indian Reservations;
- $453 million to assist tribes through the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
- $69 million to help tribal schools, colleges and universities through for the Bureau of Indian Education;
- $300 million more to the HUD Indian Housing Block Grant program.
$900 million for LIHEAP to help lower-income households. heat and cool their homes.
$15.85 billion to help veterans, including to help treat COVID-19, purchase test kits, and procure personal protective equipment for clinicians, and $590 million in dedicated funding to treat vulnerable veterans, including homeless veterans and those in VA-run nursing homes.
$850 million in Byrne-JAG grants for state and local law enforcement and jails to purchase personal protective equipment, medical supplies and overtime.
$562 million for the Small Business Administration to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans to businesses that need financial support to keep their doors open and pay their employees.
$450 million for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to assist food banks across the country.
$425 million to increase access to mental health services in communities.
$400 million in election assistance for the states to help prepare for the 2020 election cycle, including to increase the ability to vote by mail, expand early voting and online registration and increase the safety of voting in-person by providing additional voting facilities and more poll workers.
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