House Markup Details

Additional direct assistance:

– Giving working families an additional direct payment of $1,400 per person and bringing their total relief to $2,000 per person.

Supports for unemployed workers:

– Extends temporary federal unemployment and benefits through August 29, 2021.

– Increases the weekly benefit from $300 to $400.

Fairness in the tax code for families and workers:

– Enhances the Earned Income Tax Credit for workers without children by nearly tripling the maximum credit and extending eligibility.

– Expands the Child Tax Credit to $3,000 per child ($3,600 for children under 6), and makes it fully refundable and advanceable.

– Expands the Child and Dependent Tax Credit (CDCTC) to allow families to claim up to half of their child care expenses.

Support health coverage and improve health care affordability:

– Reduces health care premiums for low and middle-income families by increasing the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) premium tax credits for 2021 and 2022. Provides a subsidy for those making greater than 400% FPL. Retroactive to January 2021.

– Continuation of employer-based health coverage by subsidizing COBRA coverage through the end of the fiscal year. Provides for premium assistance of 85% for COBRA continuation coverage for eligible individuals and families from the first of the month after enactment through Sept. 31, 2021.

– Creates health care subsidies for unemployed workers who are ineligible for COBRA.

Protect the elderly and eliminate the virus in nursing homes:

– Provides skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) the tools and on-the-ground support needed to contain COVID-19 outbreaks. Give states funding to deploy strike teams to SNFs to manage outbreaks when they do occur.

– Increases public health and social services to combat abuse, neglect, and exploitation of the elderly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emergency assistance for children, families, and workers:

– Use existing pathways to get resources to people in need quickly, including those who may not be receiving other assistance provided during the pandemic. Ensure pregnant women, children, and struggling families can maintain access to the essentials during the emergency, like housing, diapers, internet service, soap, and food.

Strengthened retirement security:

– Stabilize the pensions for more than 1 million Americans, often frontline workers, who participate in multi-employer plans that are rapidly approaching insolvency.

– Prevent multi-employer pension system from collapsing and leaving retirees in poverty, businesses in bankruptcy, and communities in crisis.

This bill passed by the House and Senate would have a major impact for citizens even if limited direct payment.