Town of Thurston Buildings Closed to Public

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Covid-19 Resources

Resources for Businesses

Small Business Administration Loans

• The      SBA works directly with Governors to provide targeted, low-interest loans      to small businesses and non-profits that have been severely impacted by      the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)      program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2      million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to      help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.
• The      process by which a state becomes eligible for SBA disaster loan assistance      is through a Governor’s request and formal certification of business      impact. SBA Field Operations staff and state Emergency Management      divisions work through this process together to support the official      disaster declaration request.
  • When       a request is submitted and approved, SBA public information officers and       District Office staff work with the state to announce the opportunity.       SBA will then post a link on their website for small businesses to apply       for economic injury disaster loans (EIDL).
  • As       of March 17, New York has applied for a disaster designation for all       counties impacting the 23rd Congressional District and is       awaiting approval. 3 New York counties have been designated disaster       areas (Dutchess, Putnam, and Westchester) as contiguous to Connecticut.
• Resources:
  • Covid-19 dedicated SBA       webpage: https://www.sba.gov/page/guidance-businesses-employers-plan-respond-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19 
  • SBA Disaster Loan webpage: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/ 
  • Small Businesses Development       Centers: https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/find/?type=Small%20Business%20Development%20Center&pageNumber=1 
  • SBA Size Standards: https://www.sba.gov/size-standards/ 

Internal Revenue Service/Department of Treasury

• 90      day deferral for tax payments, up to $1 million for individuals and $10      million for corporations, with no interest and no penalties.
  • IRS       Notice: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-20-17.pdf 
• On      March 17, the IRS also alerted its employees that effective immediately,      the IRS will stop some enforcement actions, including certain levies and      collection notices, until further notice.
• Covid-19      dedicated IRS webpage: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus

Resources for Individuals

Unemployment Benefits

• After      the President’s emergency declaration, the Department of Labor (DOL)      announced new guidance stating that workers temporarily quarantined or      unable to work due to the coronavirus can be eligible for unemployment      benefits. States now have more flexibility, and can pay benefits when      workers are quarantined, or when they leave their jobs due to a risk of      exposure or to care for a family member.
  • Press       release: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20200312-0 
  • Covid-19       dedicated DOL webpage: https://www.dol.gov/coronavirus 
• H.R.      6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which passed the      House on March 14 and should pass the Senate this week, also appropriated      $1 billion for emergency transfers to states to process and pay      unemployment benefits.
  • States       would receive half of their allocation within 60 days of the bill’s       enactment if they certify that they meet certain requirements, such as       ensuring that workers can apply for benefits online or by phone.
  • States       would receive the remaining funds if their unemployment claims increased       by at least 10% over the same quarter in the previous year. They would       have to waive certain eligibility rules for claimants and charges for       employers affected by Covid-19.
• H.R.      6201 also waives the state matching requirement and provides full federal      funding for the Extended Benefits (EB) program for the rest of 2020. To      qualify, states would need to experience a 10% spike in unemployment      claims over the past year and qualify for a full emergency funding      transfer under the measure.
  • Background:       Eligible laid-off workers can receive regular unemployment benefits for       as long as 26 weeks in most states.       After       exhausting those benefits, individuals in states with rising unemployment       can qualify for an additional 13 weeks of benefits — or 20 weeks in some       states — through the Extended Benefits (EB) program.
• NY      State DOL Unemployment Benefits Application: https://labor.ny.gov/ui/how_to_file_claim.shtm

Internal Revenue Service/Department of Treasury

• On      March 17, the Treasury Department announced a 90 day deferral for tax      payments, up to $1 million for individuals, with no interest and no      penalties.
• On      March 17, the IRS also alerted its employees that effective immediately,      the IRS will stop some enforcement actions, including certain levies and      collection notices, until further notice.
• Covid-19      dedicated IRS webpage: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus

Nutrition Assistance 

• On      March 14, the House passed H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus      Response Act. The Senate is expected to pass the legislation this      week. The bill includes:
  • $500       million in emergency funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition       Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.
  • $400       million for the Commodity Assistance Program for the emergency food       assistance program (TEFAP), $100 million of which could be used for costs       related to the distribution of goods.
• SNAP      Benefits for Kids: If a school is closed for at      least five consecutive days because of a coronavirus-related public health      emergency, states could adjust their SNAP to provide additional aid to      households with children eligible for free or reduced price school meals.
• SNAP      Work Requirements: The bill would waive federal work      requirements for SNAP eligibility. The waiver would begin the first full      month after the bill is enacted and terminate at the end of the first full      month after a federal coronavirus-related emergency declaration is lifted.      
  • State-imposed       work requirements would not be changed, but a person’s participation in       SNAP during the emergency could not be counted for determining compliance       with work requirements.
• Other      SNAP Benefits: States that make their own emergency or disaster      declarations related to Covid-19 could request emergency allotments of      food aid to support increased participation in SNAP and address temporary      food needs. 
• Meal      Program Waivers: The bill allows USDA to waive statutory requirements      for several food programs to ensure that meals can be provided during the      emergency and to implement safety measures related to preventing the      spread of Covid-19. It would allow nationwide waivers of eligible National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program requirements.
  • The       department could waive nutritional content requirements and rules to       provide meals through the Child and Adult Care Food Program in group       settings.
  • Waivers       related to Covid-19 that increase the cost to the federal government for       school meals would be allowed.
• WIC      Waivers: The measure would allow states to request waivers      for the requirement that The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for      Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) recipients certify their eligibility in      person and for deferring biometric and bloodwork requirements. USDA could      also modify or waive WIC administrative requirements that a state can’t      meet due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Covid-19 Employee Leave Policies

Sick Leave

Note : The President is expected to sign this bill today or tomorrow. 

• Paid      Sick Leave: 10 days of fully paid sick leave for full-time employees      (pro-rata rules would apply to part-time employees). 
  • Applicable       to companies with 500 or fewer employees
  • Employers       covered by this requirement would receive a refundable tax credit for the       wages required to be paid
    • The        credit is capped at $511 per day, and $5,110 altogether, for employees        taking leave for themselves (e.g., employee is experiencing symptoms,        etc.)
    • The        credit is capped at $200 per day, and $2,000 altogether, for employees        taking leave to care for a child or other individual (e.g., child is        experiencing symptoms, etc.).
  • An       equivalent tax credit is available for self-employed persons
  • The       Department of Labor has authority to exempt businesses with fewer than 50       employees if paid sick leave requirements "would jeopardize the       viability of the business as a going concern"

Family & Medical Leave

• Note:      the House of Representatives passed these provisions on March 14, and the      Senate is expected to pass them the week of March 16.
• 12 weeks      of family leave to provide for children due to school closure or lack of childcare      because of a public health emergency.
  • Applicable       to companies with 500 or fewer employees
  • First       10 days of leave are unpaid 
  • Employers       would be required to pay employees two-thirds of their wages starting on       day 11 (pro-rata rules would apply to part-time employees) and would       receive a refundable tax credit for wages required to be paid, capped at       $200 per day, and $10,000 altogether. 
  • The       Department of Labor has authority to:
    • Issue        regulations for businesses with fewer than 50 employees if paid sick        leave requirements "would jeopardize the viability of the business        as a going concern"
    • Exclude        health care providers and emergency responders from the requirements