Fifth COVID-19 response bill, the HEROES ACT, to be voted on in the House of Representatives

On May 12, Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives released the next COVID-19 relief bill, a $3 trillion package that could become the fifth major response and relief legislation and seeks to provide a comprehensive next step in helping the nation respond to the pandemic. The legislation, known as the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES Act), is currently only supported by Democrats and has yet to be negotiated with the White House or Republican Senate leadership. The bill is scheduled to be voted on as early as Friday, May 15. Senate leadership does not plan to take the bill up immediately and instead has indicated they prefer to monitor the impact of the CARES Act that passed on March 27 before taking up another comprehensive, trillion dollar package.

With regard to afterschool and education, the bill:

• Includes additional funding for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, with $90 billion distributed to Governors, including:
  • $58 billion for K–12 local educational agencies;
  • $27 billion for public institutions of higher education (plus an additional $10 billion for higher education, including $1.7 billion for historically black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions);
  • $4 billion for governors to support K–12, higher education and related activities;
  • $450 million each for the Bureau of Indian Education and outlying areas.

• Elevates afterschool and summer learning as an allowable use in addition again to all uses allowed by ESSA (including 21^st Century Community Learning Centers), Perkins CTE, IDEA and the McKinney Vento Homeless Youth Act
• Includes language calling for the fund to support:
  • Continuity of student engagement through social and emotional learning
  • Professional development for school-based staff on trauma-informed care to restore the learning environment
  • Purchasing educational technology, including assistive technology, that aids in regular and substantive interactions between students and their classroom instructor
• Includes $1.5 billion to close the homework gap by providing funding for Wi-Fi hotspots and connected devices for students and library patrons, and $4 billion for emergency broadband connectivity fund
• Provides Perkins Career and Technical Education programs and Adult Education and Literacy programs additional legislative flexibilities to use current resources to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Includes an additional $7 billion in payments to states for the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) to remain available until September 30, 2021, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus (including for federal administrative expenses)
• Includes $3 billion in additional funding for child nutrition programs to provide emergency financial relief to school meal providers and USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program, which includes afterschool meals
• Requires the Corporation for National and Community Service to provide a feasibility report on expansion to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, to include AmeriCorps and other programs under CNCS
• Supports small businesses and nonprofits, by strengthening the Payroll Protection Program to ensure that it reaches underserved communities, nonprofits of all sizes and types and responds flexibly to small businesses by providing $10 billion for COVID-19 emergency grants through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, including:
  • Eliminating the 500+ employee exemption, but does not allow these employers to claim tax credits

It is also important to note that to receive stabilization funds, states must give “assurances” that they will provide at least as much funding for K-12 and higher educations, as a percentage of total state spending in fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022 as they did in fiscal year 2019.  

Specific offices and departments within the federal government are also given dedicated funds for grants and activities.

• Through the Department of Labor, $518 million is provided for grants to the States for youth activities, including supportive services, summer employment for youth, and to facilitate remote access to training services provided through a one stop delivery system through the use of technology, to remain available until June 30, 2021
• Within the Institute for Museum and Library Services, $5 million to support libraries and museums with costs and expenses associated with coronavirus, including operational supports and providing technology and resources for their communities
• Within Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, $100 million for Project AWARE to identify students and connect them with mental health services; and $10 million for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• Also within Department of Health and Human Services, $20 million for Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) State Grants; and $20 million for Community Based-Child Abuse Prevention Grants.

Overall, the bill:

• Provides nearly $1 trillion to state, local, territorial and tribal governments to pay vital workers like first responders, health workers, and teachers
• Establishes a Heroes’ Fund for essential workers, with $200 billion to ensure essential workers who have risked their lives working during the pandemic receive hazard pay
• Supports testing, tracing and treatment, by providing another $75 billion for coronavirus testing, contact tracing and isolation measures
• Provides additional direct payments to individuals with a second round of more substantial economic impact payments of $1,200 per family member, up to $6,000 per household
• Ensures worker safety, by requiring OSHA to issue a strong, enforceable standard within seven days to require all workplaces to develop and implement infection control plans based on CDC expertise,
• Extends unemployment benefits, ensuring weekly $600 federal unemployment payments through next January
• Bolsters housing assistance, helping struggling families afford a safe place to live with $175 billion in new supports to assist renters and homeowners make monthly rent, mortgage and utility payments and other housing-related costs
• Strengthens food security, addressing rising hunger with a 15 percent increase to the maximum SNAP benefit and additional funding for nutrition programs that help families put food on the table

While it is disappointing that the legislation does not include much needed additional funding for 21^st Century Community Learning Centers, the process is far from complete. If the House is able to pass the bill at the end of this week or next week, the Senate likely will wait and could draft their own legislation after Memorial Day, hoping to assess the impact of the CARES Act and previous legislation. As recovery begins, afterschool advocates will have the opportunity over the coming weeks to share their stories of how afterschool programs continue to play a crucial role in ensuring parents can return to work; help students with ongoing academic work, re-connect and re-engage; and direct support to those impacted most by the pandemic.

Earlier this week the Century Fund, a nonpartisan think tank that seeks to foster opportunity, reduce inequality, and promote security at home and abroad, called for “increased federal funding for community-based summer and afterschool programs by expanding the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers." (Read their full article here.) 

What's next?

Through a series of virtual briefing for Congressional staff planned for later this month as well as a week of social media advocacy and awareness, friends of afterschool can continue to demonstrate how afterschool and summer learning programs are committed to helping youth emerge from this difficult time of isolation and loss strong, resilient, and hopeful.

Interested in more information like this? Visit our COVID-19 resource pages and join the online learning community!