M E M O R A N D U M
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Town Council
From: Council Member Robert “BJ” Duncan, Seat 1
Date: June 17, 2020
Re: Supporting United States House of Representatives Bill 6800 (HR 6800) Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions, also known as the “Heroes Act”
REQUEST
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A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA, SUPPORTING THE UNITED STATES HOUSE BILL 6800, ENTITLED “THE HEROES ACT,” WHICH EXPANDS RELIEF TO ADDRESS THE IMPACTS OF THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 ON THE ECONOMY, PUBLIC HEALTH, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND BUSINESSES; PROVIDING FOR TRANSMITTAL; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
On May 12, 2020, the United States House of Representatives introduced House Bill 6800 (“HR 6800”), entitled the “HEROES Act,” which responds to the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) outbreak and its impact on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses. The proposed HEROES Act legislation is a $3 trillion follow-up relief package to the $2.2 trillion CARES Act package signed into law on March 27, 2020, with $1 trillion pledged to state and local governments facing revenue shortfalls.
On May 15, 2020, HR 6800 passed the House and was received by the Senate on May 20, 2020. It was read for the first time on May 21, 2020, with a second reading on June 1, 2020, and it has now been placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar (Calendar No. 455).
Among other things, the HEROES Act provides for emergency supplemental appropriations for FY 2020 to federal agencies; provides payments and other assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments; provides additional direct payments of up to $1,200.00 per individual; modifies and expands the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides loans and grants to small businesses and nonprofit organizations; provides funding and establishes requirements for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing; and requires employers to develop and implement infectious disease exposure control plans.
Within its 1,815 pages, HR 6800 also modifies and expands a wide range of other programs and policies, including: Medicare and Medicaid, health insurance, food and unemployment assistance, broadband service, medical product supplies, immigration, student loans and financial aid, the federal workforce, prisons, veterans benefits, consumer protection requirements, the U.S. Postal Service, federal elections, aviation and railroad workers, and pension and retirement plans.
It is my opinion that the HEROES Act targets many problems including: expanded food and unemployment assistance, assistance for struggling state and local governments, hazard pay for essential front-line workers, housing assistance fund to help pay rents and mortgages and health insurance premium payments for laid off workers. To help employment, the Heroes Act also includes $2 billion for job training to help people get back to work. Therefore, I strongly request my fellow Council Members to urge the United States Senate to pass HR 6800.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Town Council adopt the attached Resolution supporting the passage of HR 6800, and directing the Town Clerk to provide a copy of this Resolution to the Honorable U.S. Representative Donna Shalala, Honorable U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, and Honorable U.S. Senator Rick Scott.