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COVID-19 FAQs |
| Congressman Simpson's Covid-19 Update March 24th 2020 |
The spread of COVID -19 isn't a Republican problem or a Democrat problem, it's an American problem. Stay Calm, Stay Informed, and Stay Home! We're in this together.
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Simpson, Fulcher join Pacific Northwest Colleagues Requesting more Ventilators for Region; Risch and Crapo Support Request
Washington, D.C. – Idaho Congressmen Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher joined Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) along with 15 other members of Congress from the Pacific Northwest Region sending Vice President Pence a joint letter expressing the great need for ventilators for the region. The most recent data from HHS and the American Association for Respiratory Care found that Washington and Oregon only have 13 ventilators per 100,000 people and Idaho only has 12 ventilators per 100,000. Comparatively the state median number of ventilators per 100,000 people is 20.5. Therefore, the Pacific Northwest Region needs more ventilators. The request comes following DOD announcing 2,000 additional ventilators being made available to HHS. In part, the letter reads, “Unfortunately, we fear that the existing availability of ventilators may prove to not be enough. According to an analysis published in Health Affairs projected that a possible 20.5 million Americans could require hospitalization due to COVID-19 and that that if the infection curve is not flattened and the pandemic peaks over 6 months there would be a needs gap of 295,350 ICU beds. We urge the White House to convene every ventilator manufacturer with the purpose of developing a collective national manufacturing goal to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.” “The White House Coronavirus Task Force has been incredibly responsive to our requests and I believe they are using all available resources to help the American people,” said Congressman Mike Simpson. “We’ve reached out for additional ventilators for our states, as we are in dire need for more devices.” “Proud to sign on to a letter with my fellow members from the Pacific Northwest to request more ventilators to our region. Our letter points out that Idaho, Oregon, and Washington hospitals have reported a shortage of ventilators,” said Congressman Russ Fulcher. “We’re asking that priority go to those states where the shortage is most acute. Ventilators assist or replace respiratory functions, getting oxygen into the blood for vital organs. They are a major supportive treatment for patients in the critical stage of COVID-19.”
“I thank Representatives Simpson and Fulcher for their leadership in the House on efforts give health care providers access to ventilators necessary to care for COVID-19 patients,” said Senator Mike Crapo. “I am continuing to work with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure health care systems have all of the resources they need to care for COVID-19 patients and to further reduce the virus’ spread across the country.”
“Ventilators are a critical lifeline for people suffering from serious respiratory failure. Under the dire circumstances presented to us by the COVID-19 outbreak, it is essential that we get ventilators to Idaho health care providers as rapidly as possible,” said Senator James Risch. “I applaud Representatives Simpson and Fulcher leadership on this issue and look forward to supporting their efforts in the Senate.”
Full text of the letter follows and to view a letter with signatures please click here:
Idaho wants to hear from small businesses impacted by coronavirus
Businesses impacted may be eligible for SBA Disaster Economic Injury Loan Assistance Boise, Idaho – Governor Brad Little announced the State of Idaho is seeking responses from small, non-farm businesses across Idaho whose operations and ability to conduct business have been disrupted by the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The information received will determine whether impacted businesses will be eligible for disaster assistance in the form of low interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) though Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance. Coronavirus has caused disruptions in ordinary business functions and economic injury since the first confirmed case occurred in the United States in January. The State of Idaho will need responses from small businesses to demonstrate economic injury as determined by the SBA in order to activate Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance. In order to respond, businesses should complete and the SBA Disaster Economic Injury Worksheet to assist with the qualification process. The worksheet can be found on the Idaho Commerce website at https://commerce.idaho.gov/covid-19/.
Forms can be downloaded, completed, and e-mailed to Jerry Miller at the Idaho Department of Commerce at jerry.miller@commerce.idaho.gov. For alternative submission options, call 208-287-0780. Businesses impacted coronavirus who may not apply to receive financial assistance are still encouraged to submit worksheets to document the impact on their business. This information will help Idaho businesses who do apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan to be more likely to receive assistance. If approved, the assistance will be in the form of low interest, direct loans from the SBA. These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that cannot be paid because of the disaster’s impact. The interest rate is 3.75-percent for small businesses. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75-percent. The SBA offers loans with long-term repayments in order to keep payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years. Terms are determined on a case-by-case basis, based upon each borrower’s ability to repay. Farms and ranches are not eligible for the SBA program but may seek information from their county U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency representative.
For additional information, visit the SBA disaster assistance website at SBA.gov/Disaster.
U.S. Department of Labor | March 20, 2020 The U.S. Department of the Treasury, IRS and the U.S. Department of Labor Announce Plan to Implement Coronavirus-Related Paid Leave for Workers and Tax Credits for Small and Midsize Businesses to Swiftly Recover the Cost of Providing Coronavirus-Related Leave WASHINGTON, DC – Today the U.S. Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Labor announced that small and midsize employers can begin taking advantage of two new refundable payroll tax credits, designed to immediately and fully reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing Coronavirus-related leave to their employees. This relief to employees and small and midsize businesses is provided under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, signed by President Trump on March 18, 2020. The act will help the United States combat and defeat COVID-19 by giving all American businesses with fewer than 500 employees funds to provide employees with paid leave, either for the employee’s own health needs or to care for family members. The legislation will enable employers to keep their workers on their payrolls, while at the same time ensuring that workers are not forced to choose between their paychecks and the public health measures needed to combat the virus. Key Takeaways
For COVID-19 related reasons, employees receive up to 80 hours of paid sick leave and expanded paid child care leave when employees’ children’s schools are closed or child care providers are unavailable.
Employers receive 100% reimbursement for paid leave pursuant to the act.
Reimbursement will be quick and easy to obtain.
Employers with fewer than 50 employees are eligible for an exemption from the requirements to provide leave to care for a child whose school is closed or child care is unavailable in cases where the viability of the business is threatened. Easing Compliance
To take immediate advantage of the paid leave credits, businesses can retain and access funds that they would otherwise pay to the IRS in payroll taxes. If those amounts are not sufficient to cover the cost of paid leave, employers can seek an expedited advance from the IRS by submitting a streamlined claim form that will be released next week. Background The act provided paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for COVID-19 related reasons and created the refundable paid sick leave credit and the paid child-care leave credit for eligible employers. Eligible employers are businesses and tax-exempt organizations with fewer than 500 employees that are required to provide emergency paid sick leave and emergency paid family and medical leave under the act. Eligible employers will be able to claim these credits based on qualifying leave they provide between the effective date and Dec. 31, 2020. Equivalent credits are available to self-employed individuals based on similar circumstances. Paid Leave The act provides that employees of eligible employers can receive two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at 100% of the employee’s pay where the employee is unable to work because the employee is quarantined, and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, and seeking a medical diagnosis. An employee who is unable to work because of a need to care for an individual subject to quarantine, to care for a child whose school is closed or child care provider is unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19, and/or the employee is experiencing substantially similar conditions as specified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can receive two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at 2/3 the employee’s pay. An employee who is unable to work due to a need to care for a child whose school is closed or child care provider is unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19, may in some instances receive up to an additional ten weeks of expanded paid family and medical leave at 2/3 the employee’s pay. Paid Sick Leave Credit For an employee who is unable to work because of Coronavirus quarantine or self-quarantine or has Coronavirus symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis, eligible employers may receive a refundable sick leave credit for sick leave at the employee’s regular rate of pay, up to $511 per day and $5,110 in the aggregate, for a total of 10 days. For an employee who is caring for someone with Coronavirus, or is caring for a child because the child’s school or child care facility is closed, or the child care provider is unavailable due to the Coronavirus, eligible employers may claim a credit for two-thirds of the employee’s regular rate of pay, up to $200 per day and $2,000 in the aggregate, for up to 10 days. Eligible employers are entitled to an additional tax credit determined based on costs to maintain health insurance coverage for the eligible employee during the leave period. Child Care Leave Credit In addition to the sick leave credit, for an employee who is unable to work because of a need to care for a child whose school or child-care facility is closed or whose child care provider is unavailable due to the Coronavirus, eligible employers may receive a refundable child care leave credit. This credit is equal to two-thirds of the employee’s regular pay, capped at $200 per day or $10,000 in the aggregate. Up to 10 weeks of qualifying leave can be counted towards the child-care leave credit. Eligible employers are entitled to an additional tax credit determined based on costs to maintain health insurance coverage for the eligible employee during the leave period. Prompt Payment for the Cost of Providing Leave When employers pay their employees, they are required to withhold from their employees’ paychecks federal income taxes and the employees' share of Social Security and Medicare taxes. The employers then are required to deposit these federal taxes, along with their share of Social Security and Medicare taxes, with the IRS and file quarterly payroll tax returns (Form 941 series) with the IRS. Under guidance that will be released next week, eligible employers who pay qualifying sick or child-care leave will be able to retain an amount of the payroll taxes equal to the amount of qualifying sick and child-care leave that they paid, rather than deposit them with the IRS. The payroll taxes that are available for retention include withheld federal income taxes, the employee share of Social Security and Medicare taxes and the employer share of Social Security and Medicare taxes with respect to all employees. If there are not sufficient payroll taxes to cover the cost of qualified sick and child care leave paid, employers will be able file a request for an accelerated payment from the IRS. The IRS expects to process these requests in two weeks or less. The details of this new, expedited procedure will be announced next week. Examples If an eligible employer paid $5,000 in sick leave and is otherwise required to deposit $8,000 in payroll taxes, including taxes withheld from all its employees, the employer could use up to $5,000 of the $8,000 of taxes it was going to deposit for making qualified leave payments. The employer would only be required under the law to deposit the remaining $3,000 on its next regular deposit date. If an eligible employer paid $10,000 in sick leave and was required to deposit $8,000 in taxes, the employer could use the entire $8,000 of taxes in order to make qualified leave payments, and file a request for an accelerated credit for the remaining $2,000. Equivalent child-care leave and sick leave credit amounts are available to self-employed individuals under similar circumstances. These credits will be claimed on their income tax return and will reduce estimated tax payments. Small Business Exemption Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees will be eligible for an exemption from the leave requirements relating to school closings or child care unavailability where the requirements would jeopardize the ability of the business to continue. The exemption will be available on the basis of simple and clear criteria that make it available in circumstances involving jeopardy to the viability of an employer’s business as a going concern. The Department of Labor will provide emergency guidance and rulemaking to clearly articulate this standard. Non-Enforcement Period Department of Labor will be issuing a temporary non-enforcement policy that provides a period of time for employers to come into compliance with the act. Under this policy, Department of Labor will not bring an enforcement action against any employer for violations of the act so long as the employer has acted reasonably and in good faith to comply with the act. The Department of Labor will instead focus on compliance assistance during the 30-day period. For More Information For more information about these credits and other relief, visit Coronavirus Tax Relief on IRS.gov. Information regarding the process to receive an advance payment of the credit will be posted next week. |
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