The $1 trillion HEALS Act included a wide range of provisions. Below are highlights of the policy proposals and funding that were included:
- Emergency Food and Shelter Program: An additional $200 million for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program
- Child Care Funding: An additional $5 billion in funding for Child Care and Development Block Grant and $10 billion in Back to Work Child Care Grants are included, far short of the $50 billion needed to stabilize the child care sector.
- Pandemic Unemployment Insurance: Unemployment insurance benefits would be increased by $200 per week through September and then transition to 70% of lost wages in October through December.
- Economic Impact Payments: A second round of economic impact payments. The eligibility criteria remains the same however dependents of any age are now included in the $500 payment.
- Paycheck Protection Program: An additional $90 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, which would be added to the remaining $100 billion. It also includes proposed changes to documentation requirements for forgiveness of loans under $2 million. A second round of funding would be available to organizations that already received a loan, have 300 or fewer employees, and demonstrate a 50% reduction in gross receipts in 2020 compared to 2019.
- Employee Retention Tax Credit: Similar to the HEROES Act, the bill would increase the CARES Act refundable payroll tax credit to 65% of wages of up to $10,000 per quarter. Originally, few United Ways could access this program because it overlapped with the PPP. But under this proposal United Ways showing a 25% decline in revenue could take the credit for wages not covered by PPP funds.
- Safe and Healthy Workplace Tax Credit: Would create a refundable payroll tax credit to reduce the costs incurred for COVID-19 testing, personal protective equipment (PPE), disinfecting, extra cleaning, and reconfiguring workspaces. The credit would apply at a rate of 50%, capped at $1,000 per employee. The credit could be applied retroactively to qualified expenses going back to March and forward through December.
- Coronavirus Relief Fund: For charities that are receiving Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars under contracts from states, the deadline for use of the funds would be moved to 90 days after the end of the fiscal year.
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program: An additional $1.5 billion for the LIHEAP program