CARES Act - H.R.748 - Public Law 116-136

Historic Federal Response to Coronavirus Epidemic March 27, 2020

CARES Act

Link to details of the legislation and text

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/748/text

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday, the third day of January, two thousand and twenty

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the excise tax on high cost employer-sponsored health coverage.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act” or the “CARES Act”.

SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.

Sec. 2. Table of contents.

Sec. 3. References.

DIVISION A—KEEPING WORKERS PAID AND EMPLOYED, HEALTH CARE SYSTEM ENHANCEMENTS, AND ECONOMIC STABILIZATION

TITLE I—KEEPING AMERICAN WORKERS PAID AND EMPLOYED ACT

Sec. 1101. Definitions.

Sec. 1102. Paycheck protection program.

Sec. 1103. Entrepreneurial development.

Sec. 1104. State trade expansion program.

Sec. 1105. Waiver of matching funds requirement under the women’s business center program.

Sec. 1106. Loan forgiveness.

Sec. 1107. Direct appropriations.

Sec. 1108. Minority business development agency.

Sec. 1109. United States Treasury Program Management Authority.

Sec. 1110. Emergency EIDL grants.

Sec. 1111. Resources and services in languages other than English.

Sec. 1112. Subsidy for certain loan payments.

Sec. 1113. Bankruptcy.

Sec. 1114. Emergency rulemaking authority.

TITLE II—ASSISTANCE FOR AMERICAN WORKERS, FAMILIES, AND BUSINESSES

Subtitle A—Unemployment Insurance Provisions

Sec. 2101. Short title.

Sec. 2102. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

Sec. 2103. Emergency unemployment relief for governmental entities and nonprofit organizations.

Sec. 2104. Emergency increase in unemployment compensation benefits.

Sec. 2105. Temporary full Federal funding of the first week of compensable regular unemployment for States with no waiting week.

Sec. 2106. Emergency State staffing flexibility.

Sec. 2107. Pandemic emergency unemployment compensation.

Sec. 2108. Temporary financing of short-time compensation payments in States with programs in law.

Sec. 2109. Temporary financing of short-time compensation agreements.

Sec. 2110. Grants for short-time compensation programs.

Sec. 2111. Assistance and guidance in implementing programs.

Sec. 2112. Waiver of the 7-day waiting period for benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act.

Sec. 2113. Enhanced benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act.

Sec. 2114. Extended unemployment benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act.

Sec. 2115. Funding for the DOL Office of Inspector General for oversight of unemployment provisions.

Sec. 2116. Implementation.

Subtitle B—Rebates And Other Individual Provisions

Sec. 2201. 2020 recovery rebates for individuals.

Sec. 2202. Special rules for use of retirement funds.

Sec. 2203. Temporary waiver of required minimum distribution rules for certain retirement plans and accounts.

Sec. 2204. Allowance of partial above the line deduction for charitable contributions.

Sec. 2205. Modification of limitations on charitable contributions during 2020.

Sec. 2206. Exclusion for certain employer payments of student loans.

Subtitle C—Business Provisions

Sec. 2301. Employee retention credit for employers subject to closure due to COVID–19.

Sec. 2302. Delay of payment of employer payroll taxes.

Sec. 2303. Modifications for net operating losses.

Sec. 2304. Modification of limitation on losses for taxpayers other than corporations.

Sec. 2305. Modification of credit for prior year minimum tax liability of corporations.

Sec. 2306. Modifications of limitation on business interest.

Sec. 2307. Technical amendments regarding qualified improvement property.

Sec. 2308. Temporary exception from excise tax for alcohol used to produce hand sanitizer.

TITLE III—SUPPORTING AMERICA’S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS

Subtitle A—Health Provisions

Sec. 3001. Short title.

PART I—ADDRESSING SUPPLY SHORTAGES

SUBPART A—MEDICAL PRODUCT SUPPLIES

Sec. 3101. National Academies report on America’s medical product supply chain security.

Sec. 3102. Requiring the strategic national stockpile to include certain types of medical supplies.

Sec. 3103. Treatment of respiratory protective devices as covered countermeasures.

SUBPART B—MITIGATING EMERGENCY DRUG SHORTAGES

Sec. 3111. Prioritize reviews of drug applications; incentives.

Sec. 3112. Additional manufacturer reporting requirements in response to drug shortages.

SUBPART C—PREVENTING MEDICAL DEVICE SHORTAGES

Sec. 3121. Discontinuance or interruption in the production of medical devices.

PART II—ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE FOR COVID–19 PATIENTS

SUBPART A—COVERAGE OF TESTING AND PREVENTIVE SERVICES

Sec. 3201. Coverage of diagnostic testing for COVID–19.

Sec. 3202. Pricing of diagnostic testing.

Sec. 3203. Rapid coverage of preventive services and vaccines for coronavirus.

SUBPART B—SUPPORT FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

Sec. 3211. Supplemental awards for health centers.

Sec. 3212. Telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs.

Sec. 3213. Rural health care services outreach, rural health network development, and small health care provider quality improvement grant programs.

Sec. 3214. United States Public Health Service Modernization.

Sec. 3215. Limitation on liability for volunteer health care professionals during COVID–19 emergency response.

Sec. 3216. Flexibility for members of National Health Service Corps during emergency period.

SUBPART C—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Sec. 3221. Confidentiality and disclosure of records relating to substance use disorder.

Sec. 3222. Nutrition services.

Sec. 3223. Continuity of service and opportunities for participants in community service activities under title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965.

Sec. 3224. Guidance on protected health information.

Sec. 3225. Reauthorization of healthy start program.

Sec. 3226. Importance of the blood supply.

PART III—INNOVATION

Sec. 3301. Removing the cap on OTA during public health emergencies.

Sec. 3302. Priority zoonotic animal drugs.

PART IV—HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE

Sec. 3401. Reauthorization of health professions workforce programs.

Sec. 3402. Health workforce coordination.

Sec. 3403. Education and training relating to geriatrics.

Sec. 3404. Nursing workforce development.

Subtitle B—Education Provisions

Sec. 3501. Short title.

Sec. 3502. Definitions.

Sec. 3503. Campus-based aid waivers.

Sec. 3504. Use of supplemental educational opportunity grants for emergency aid.

Sec. 3505. Federal work-study during a qualifying emergency.

Sec. 3506. Adjustment of subsidized loan usage limits.

Sec. 3507. Exclusion from Federal Pell Grant duration limit.

Sec. 3508. Institutional refunds and Federal student loan flexibility.

Sec. 3509. Satisfactory academic progress.

Sec. 3510. Continuing education at affected foreign institutions.

Sec. 3511. National emergency educational waivers.

Sec. 3512. HBCU Capital financing.

Sec. 3513. Temporary relief for federal student loan borrowers.

Sec. 3514. Provisions related to the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Sec. 3515. Workforce response activities.

Sec. 3516. Technical amendments.

Sec. 3517. Waiver authority and reporting requirement for institutional aid.

Sec. 3518. Authorized uses and other modifications for grants.

Sec. 3519. Service obligations for teachers.

Subtitle C—Labor Provisions

Sec. 3601. Limitation on paid leave.

Sec. 3602. Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act Limitation.

Sec. 3603. Unemployment insurance.

Sec. 3604. OMB Waiver of Paid Family and Paid Sick Leave.

Sec. 3605. Paid leave for rehired employees.

Sec. 3606. Advance refunding of credits.

Sec. 3607. Expansion of DOL Authority to postpone certain deadlines.

Sec. 3608. Single-employer plan funding rules.

Sec. 3609. Application of cooperative and small employer charity pension plan rules to certain charitable employers whose primary exempt purpose is providing services with respect to mothers and children.

Sec. 3610. Federal contractor authority.

Sec. 3611. Technical corrections.

Subtitle D—Finance Committee

Sec. 3701. Exemption for telehealth services.

Sec. 3702. Inclusion of certain over-the-counter medical products as qualified medical expenses.

Sec. 3703. Increasing Medicare telehealth flexibilities during emergency period.

Sec. 3704. Enhancing Medicare telehealth services for Federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics during emergency period.

Sec. 3705. Temporary waiver of requirement for face-to-face visits between home dialysis patients and physicians.

Sec. 3706. Use of telehealth to conduct face-to-face encounter prior to recertification of eligibility for hospice care during emergency period.

Sec. 3707. Encouraging use of telecommunications systems for home health services furnished during emergency period.

Sec. 3708. Improving care planning for Medicare home health services.

Sec. 3709. Adjustment of sequestration.

Sec. 3710. Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment system add-on payment for COVID–19 patients during emergency period.

Sec. 3711. Increasing access to post-acute care during emergency period.

Sec. 3712. Revising payment rates for durable medical equipment under the Medicare program through duration of emergency period.

Sec. 3713. Coverage of the COVID–19 vaccine under part B of the Medicare program without any cost-sharing.

Sec. 3714. Requiring Medicare prescription drug plans and MA–PD plans to allow during the COVID–19 emergency period for fills and refills of covered part D drugs for up to a 3-month supply.

Sec. 3715. Providing home and community-based services in acute care hospitals.

Sec. 3716. Clarification regarding uninsured individuals.

Sec. 3717. Clarification regarding coverage of COVID–19 testing products.

Sec. 3718. Amendments relating to reporting requirements with respect to clinical diagnostic laboratory tests.

Sec. 3719. Expansion of the Medicare hospital accelerated payment program during the COVID–19 public health emergency.

Sec. 3720. Delaying requirements for enhanced FMAP to enable State legislation necessary for compliance.

Subtitle E—Health And Human Services Extenders

PART I—MEDICARE PROVISIONS

Sec. 3801. Extension of the work geographic index floor under the Medicare program.

Sec. 3802. Extension of funding for quality measure endorsement, input, and selection.

Sec. 3803. Extension of funding outreach and assistance for low-income programs.

PART II—MEDICAID PROVISIONS

Sec. 3811. Extension of the Money Follows the Person rebalancing demonstration program.

Sec. 3812. Extension of spousal impoverishment protections.

Sec. 3813. Delay of DSH reductions.

Sec. 3814. Extension and expansion of Community Mental Health Services demonstration program.

PART III—HUMAN SERVICES AND OTHER HEALTH PROGRAMS

Sec. 3821. Extension of sexual risk avoidance education program.

Sec. 3822. Extension of personal responsibility education program.

Sec. 3823. Extension of demonstration projects to address health professions workforce needs.

Sec. 3824. Extension of the temporary assistance for needy families program and related programs.

PART IV—PUBLIC HEALTH PROVISIONS

Sec. 3831. Extension for community health centers, the National Health Service Corps, and teaching health centers that operate GME programs.

Sec. 3832. Diabetes programs.

PART V—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Sec. 3841. Prevention of duplicate appropriations for fiscal year 2020.

Subtitle F—Over-The-Counter Drugs

PART I—OTC DRUG REVIEW

Sec. 3851. Regulation of certain nonprescription drugs that are marketed without an approved drug application.

Sec. 3852. Misbranding.

Sec. 3853. Drugs excluded from the over-the-counter drug review.

Sec. 3854. Treatment of Sunscreen Innovation Act.

Sec. 3855. Annual update to Congress on appropriate pediatric indication for certain OTC cough and cold drugs.

Sec. 3856. Technical corrections.

PART II—USER FEES

Sec. 3861. Finding.

Sec. 3862. Fees relating to over-the-counter drugs.

TITLE IV—ECONOMIC STABILIZATION AND ASSISTANCE TO SEVERELY DISTRESSED SECTORS OF THE UNITED STATES ECONOMY

Subtitle A—Coronavirus Economic Stabilization Act Of 2020

Sec. 4001. Short title.

Sec. 4002. Definitions.

Sec. 4003. Emergency relief and taxpayer protections.

Sec. 4004. Limitation on certain employee compensation.

Sec. 4005. Continuation of certain air service.

Sec. 4006. Coordination with Secretary of Transportation.

Sec. 4007. Suspension of certain aviation excise taxes.

Sec. 4008. Debt guarantee authority.

Sec. 4009. Temporary Government in the Sunshine Act relief.

Sec. 4010. Temporary hiring flexibility.

Sec. 4011. Temporary lending limit waiver.

Sec. 4012. Temporary relief for community banks.

Sec. 4013. Temporary relief from troubled debt restructurings.

Sec. 4014. Optional temporary relief from current expected credit losses.

Sec. 4015. Non-applicability of restrictions on ESF during national emergency.

Sec. 4016. Temporary credit union provisions.

Sec. 4017. Increasing access to materials necessary for national security and pandemic recovery.

Sec. 4018. Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery.

Sec. 4019. Conflicts of interest.

Sec. 4020. Congressional Oversight Commission.

Sec. 4021. Credit protection during COVID–19.

Sec. 4022. Foreclosure moratorium and consumer right to request forbearance.

Sec. 4023. Forbearance of residential mortgage loan payments for multifamily properties with federally backed loans.

Sec. 4024. Temporary moratorium on eviction filings.

Sec. 4025. Protection of collective bargaining agreement.

Sec. 4026. Reports.

Sec. 4027. Direct appropriation.

Sec. 4028. Rule of construction.

Sec. 4029. Termination of authority.

Subtitle B—Air Carrier Worker Support

Sec. 4111. Definitions.

Sec. 4112. Pandemic relief for aviation workers.

Sec. 4113. Procedures for providing payroll support.

Sec. 4114. Required assurances.

Sec. 4115. Protection of collective bargaining agreement.

Sec. 4116. Limitation on certain employee compensation.

Sec. 4117. Tax payer protection.

Sec. 4118. Reports.

Sec. 4119. Coordination.

Sec. 4120. Direct appropriation.

TITLE V—CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUNDS

Sec. 5001. Coronavirus Relief Fund.

TITLE VI—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Sec. 6001. COVID–19 borrowing authority for the United States Postal Service.

Sec. 6002. Emergency designation.

DIVISION B—EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS FOR CORONAVIRUS HEALTH RESPONSE AND AGENCY OPERATIONS