American Workforce Policy Advisory Board – Call to Action: The American Workforce Policy Advisory Board has released a call-to-action to help the millions of workers who need assistance now, and build the resilient and agile workforce of the future powered by skilled American workers. Specific actions:

• Expedite American workers’ return to employment and upward mobility by investing in career pathways and implementing skills-based hiring practices.
• Remove obstacles to the modernization of American education and training to accelerate reskilling and facilitate innovation in workforce development.
• Build the technological infrastructure necessary for the future of work.

Find Something New: FindSomethingNew.org can help workers of all ages and backgrounds identify the right path for their career goals by recommending multiple educational pathways, providing aptitude testing, offering a directory of critical resources for child care, food assistance, internet access and more. Educational pathways featured include online learning, professional certification programs, associate’s degrees, and vocational, technical and trades education.

Economic Impact Payments: The CARES Act provides for Economic Impact Payments to American households of up to $1,200 per adult for individuals whose income was less than $99,000 ( or $198,000 for joint filers) and $500 per child under 17 years old – or up to $3,400 for a family of four. More information can be found here.

Preserving Jobs for American Industry: The CARES Act offers meaningful financial support to American businesses and job creators so they can better support employees and be prepared to get back to business as soon as possible. More information can be found here.

Supporting Child Care: The CARES Act provided an additional $3.5 billion to the Child Care and Development Block Grant to support families with child care options during this public health crisis. Additional information and State-level information can be found here.

Dislocated Worker Grants: The U.S. Department of Labor is providing Dislocated Worker Grants to prevent, prepare for and respond to COVID-19. State-by-State data and additional details can be found here.

Assistance for Communities

CARES Act Recovery Assistance Grants: The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA)is awarding CARES Act Recovery Assistance Grants to assist communities in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. These grants are being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program, which provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. For complete information, please visit the recently updated EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance page.

Opportunity Zones: Opportunity Zones were created under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on December 22, 2017, to stimulate economic development and job creation, by incentivizing long- term investments in low-income neighborhoods. During the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump directed the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council to focus on underserved communities impacted by the virus. For more information, visit opportunityzones.gov.

• Opportunity Zones Best Practices
• Opportunity Zones Toolkit Volume 1
• Opportunity Zones Toolkit Volume 2

How to Help

If you or your organization are interested in helping the effort to combat the spread of COVID-19, FEMA has established a website (www.fema.gov/coronavirus/how-to-help) with more information. Examples for the private sector include:

Donate Supplies and Equipment

• If you represent a business that would like to donate medical supplies, equipment or pharmaceuticals, please provide details on what you would like to give. This form is for donations only.

Sell Supplies and Equipment

• If you are interested in doing business with FEMA with your company’s non-medical goods and/or services, submit your inquiry to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Procurement Action Innovative Response Team (PAIR) team at DHSIndustryLiaison@hq.dhs.gov.
• The federal government is purchasing medical supplies or equipment under the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Request for information (RFI). Visit the DLA website for more information.

Developing Medical Countermeasures

• If you would like to meet with a federal agency regarding a vaccine, diagnostic, therapeutic or other medical device that you are developing for SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19, please go to medicalcountermeasures.gov.

Other Forms of Help

• If you or someone you know represent a hospital or healthcare provider in need of medical supplies, please contact your state, local, tribal or territory department of public health and/or emergency management agency.
• If you represent a private sector business and wish to learn more about getting involved in a way that is not listed here, please e-mail nbeoc@max.gov or visit our National Business Emergency Operations Center page.

For additional information, please visit FEMA’s website: https://www.fema.gov/coronavirus/.

Guidelines for Opening Up America Again

President Trump has unveiled Guidelines for Opening Up America Again, a three-phased approach based on the advice of public health experts. These steps will help state and local officials when reopening their economies, getting people back to work, and continuing to protect American lives. Please click here for more information: Guidelines for Opening Up America Again

·         Testing Overview (HERE)

·         Testing Blueprint (HERE)

·         Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools and Homes (HERE)

·         CDC guidance for Camps, Child Care Programs, Schools, Mass Transit, Restaurants And Bars, and Workplaces

·         CDC Activities and Initiatives Supporting the COVID-19 Response and the President’s Plan for Opening America Up Again (HERE)

·         CDC videos on washing hands, wearing gloves, wearing a cloth face cover, practicing social distancing, cleaning and sanitizing toys and child care programs, cleaning and disinfecting your homes, staying safe at summer camp, staying safe at aquatic venues, dinning with friends and family with higher risk for severe illness, visiting friends and family with higher risk for severe illness, stopping the spread of germs, and considerations for bars and restaurants.

HHS To Begin Distributing $10 Billion in Additional Funding to Hospitals in High Impact COVID-19 Areas (HERE)

• As COVID-19 continues to disrupt daily lives, HHS is providing support to healthcare providers fighting the pandemic through the bipartisan CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, which allocated $175 billion in relief funds to hospitals and other healthcare providers, including those disproportionately impacted by this pandemic.

U.S. Secretary Of Labor Scalia Addresses Economic Re-Opening and Workplace Safety during Visit to North Carolina (HERE)

• Today, U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia traveled to North Carolina with Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC-05), the Republican Leader of the House Education and Labor Committee, to highlight the nation’s continued economic recovery from the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza Appoints Senior Executives to Champion Agency’s Mission and Enhance Services for America’s 30 Million Small Businesses (HERE)

• “I am proud to announce the appointment of these senior executives to play a critical role in managing and realigning the delivery of our products and services to meet the needs of America’s entrepreneurs during this extraordinary time,” said SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza. “These executives will ensure that small businesses retool and gain a competitive edge in the areas of access to capital, entrepreneurial development, government contracting, and international trade.”

Statement of Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin Department of the Treasury Before the Committee on Small Business United States House of Representatives July 17, 2020 (HERE)

• Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin discussed how the Department of the Treasury and the Small Business Administration (SBA) are working together to provide relief to businesses and their workers through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). 

Statement from Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin on the Expansion of the Main Street Lending Program to Support Lending to Nonprofit Organizations (HERE)

• “Nonprofit organizations, from colleges and universities to healthcare providers, community groups and veterans’ organizations, play a vital role in our society and employ millions of hard working Americans.  We are very pleased that the program now includes options to support lending to eligible nonprofits and can help these vital organizations continue their important work.”

Joint Statement on the EU – U.S. Financial Regulatory Forum (HERE)

• EU and U.S. participants in the EU – U.S. Joint Financial Regulatory Forum met virtually on July 14-15, 2020, to exchange views on topics of mutual interest as part of their ongoing regulatory dialogue and in light of the COVID-19 crisis.

Security Summit Focuses on Tax Pro Security during Coronavirus; New Series on Working Virtually: Protecting Tax Data at Home and at Work (HERE)

• “During COVID-19, the community should remember there’s more than one virus to be concerned about,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “This challenging period creates new opportunities for cybercriminals and new threats for tax professionals. Our latest Security Summit initiative calls on tax professionals to make sure to take precautions to meet the new challenges of the workplace. With more practitioners working from home or dealing with clients via email, it’s critical to make sure your security measures are keeping pace.”

FDA Daily Roundup – July 16, 2020 (HERE)

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to announce the actions taken in its ongoing response effort to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Secretary Ben Carson, U.S. Senator Tim Scott and acting Comptroller Brooks Take Action to Drive Capital Investment in Charleston, SC (HERE)

• Today, Secretary Carson traveled to Charleston, South Carolina to attend an Opportunity Zone workshop hosted by U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC). The event focused on a final Office of the Comptroller of the Currency rule to strengthen the implementation of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) in existing Opportunity Zones to incentivize long-term investments.

Register for the DOT Opportunity Zones Program Update Webinar (HERE)

• The United States Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) invites you to participate at the Department’s “Opportunity Zones Program” Updates Webinar to be held on Wednesday, July 29th. The webinar will start promptly at 2:00 pm, EDT. This webinar will update the public on the recent pandemic of COVID-19, and its impact on the Opportunity Zones program within the U.S. Department of Transportation.

U.S. Department of Commerce Continues to Invest Cares Act Funding to Boost Economic Development Programs Critical to Helping Communities Respond to Coronavirus (HERE)

• EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. For complete information, please visit EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance page.

For the most up-to-date information, please see the CDC’s website: www.coronavirus.gov.

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