House Passes Families First Coronavirus Response Act
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“H.R. 6201”) was passed by the House of Representatives early Saturday morning, March 14, 2020, with the backing of the Trump administration. The Senate is expected to act on H.R. 6201 this week. Please note: H.R. 6201 is not yet law. We are providing this information to allow readers to begin to prepare based on information currently available and what could be placed into law shortly. Individuals affected by the novel coronavirus could receive paid leave, food assistance, and expanded unemployment insurance, in addition to increased Medicaid funding to states under the House-passed version of H.R. 6201.
The measure would provide tax credits to employers to offset the costs of providing emergency sick leave. It also would require insurers, Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health programs to fully cover testing and related services for the virus. It is important to note that H.R. 6201 does not apply to private sector employers with 500 or more employees. Such larger employers remain subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.
For information relating to the expansion of emergency medical leave, emergency paid sick leave, and employer tax credits related to these expanded employee benefits, click here.
