Dear Friends, As we come to the end of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, it is important that we remain vigilant to protect the most vulnerable among us. With schools and most non-essential doctors' appointments canceled, it can be easier for abuse to go undetected. As we practice safe social distancing, many children are now in homes that are not safe for them and do not have access to resources and other adults who could help. Arkansas's First Lady, Susan Hutchinson, participated in one of Governor Hutchinson's daily COVID-19 briefings to raise awareness of this important issue. To watch, click HERE or on the image below.  Reports of child maltreatment can be reported 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you suspect child abuse and neglect in Arkansas, please call 1-844-SAVE-A-CHILD (1-844-728-3224) or 1-800-482-5964. You can also visit the website from the Administrative Office of the Courts HERE. The Mayo Clinic lists these red flags for child abuse or maltreatment: Withdrawal from friends or usual activities Changes in behavior — such as aggression, anger, hostility or hyperactivity — or changes in school performance Depression, anxiety or unusual fears, or a sudden loss of self-confidence An apparent lack of supervision Frequent absences from school Reluctance to leave school activities, as if he or she doesn't want to go home Attempts at running away Rebellious or defiant behavior Self-harm or attempts at suicide In addition to the Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline, the Mental Health & Addiction Services Support Line at 1-844-763-0198 and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 are available to anyone who may need help. Help our community by helping a child in need.

As we navigate the current public health crisis, the (art) show must go on.

Each spring, the U.S. House of Representatives hosts a nationwide high school art competition to recognize and celebrate artistic talent across the nation. I am pleased to announce that the ever-popular Second Congressional District Congressional Art Competition will still take place and will be conducted digitally for the first time.

With COVID-19 disrupting almost every aspect of our lives, it is my hope that this competition will provide a little bit of excitement and fun for our high schoolers while they are home. Despite school closures, the creative minds in our community are still hard at work, reflecting the tenacity of central Arkansas.

If you have any questions or to submit your artwork, please contact my office at Hill.House.Gov or (501) 324-5941.

Congressman Hill with last year's central Arkansas Congressional Art Competition winner, Meg Bat-Ulzii from Pulaski Academy, pictured with her winning piece, “Foreshortened Self-Portrait” that is hanging in the U.S. Capitol.

Today, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) began a "Shark Tank" style challenge to speed up innovation in coronavirus tests.

Scientists and inventors are invited to compete in this "national COVID-19 testing challenge" for a share of $500 million, which has been set aside for diagnostic development. 

Successful applications will be paired with business and manufacturing experts who will help to quickly scale up production of any tests developed during the project. 

For more information, click HERE. 

Monday, with the additional funding provided by Congress, the Small Business Administration (SBA) resumed accepting Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications from approved lenders on behalf of any eligible borrower.

Last week, I was proud to support this lifeline to families and businesses across Arkansas by voting in favor of the Paycheck Protection Increase Act which secured an additional $310 billion in funding for the PPP.

Programs like the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and the PPP have provided critical relief to families and small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Already, our state has benefitted from 21,000 loans totaling more than $2.7 billion for the hardworking Arkansans whose livelihoods have been impacted by the COVID-19 public health and economic crisis. The PPP loans have helped Arkansas businesses and nonprofits retain their employees and keep their businesses functioning during the current public health crisis.

Approximately 80% of the PPP loans were approved by local community banks, with no lender accounting for more than 5% of the total dollar amount of the program. The chart below outlines the current Small Business Administration (SBA) lenders in Arkansas. 

                                  

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a special alert that Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiaries must visit the IRS's "non-filers" tool HERE by May 5, if they didn’t file a tax return in 2018 or 2019 and have dependents so they can quickly receive the full amount of their Economic Impact Payment.

By quickly taking steps to enter information on the IRS website HERE, SSI and VA beneficiaries can receive a $500 per dependent child payment automatically in addition to their $1,200 individual economic impact payment. Otherwise, their payment at this time will be $1,200, and, by law, the additional $500 per eligible child amount would be paid in association with a return filing for tax year 2020.

As of April 17, over 88 million people had received their Economic Impact Payment established by Congress in the CARES Act.

If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, how you will receive your payment, or the status of your payment, check the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) Information Center HERE.

I understand how frustrating it can be to wait for these payments to reach you, especially if you receive an error message, or a message saying that the IRS does not have sufficient information. However, please be patient. 

The IRS has been notified and is working to address this issue and to process the remaining payments for those who are eligible. According to a Washington Post article, the U.S. Treasury announced it made significant enhancements to the “Get My Payment” tool over the weekend including fixes for payment status for closed bank accounts, greater access for taxpayers who filed in 2018 but did not use direct deposit for a refund, and the ability to submit a zero for the question about refund amount or amount owed. 

Payments are expected to be sent out on an ongoing basis over the coming weeks. These next set of payments will likely go to two groups: The first group is tax filers who were able to use the IRS's “Get My Payment” tool to add bank information by midday on April 22. The other set is people who don’t file tax returns but who receive Social Security or Social Security disability benefits, according to the Treasury Department. 

Individuals who receive Supplemental Security Income or veterans benefits and don’t file tax returns should get their payments by early May.

If you are waiting for a paper check to arrive in the mail, the IRS has stated that these will take longer—up to several months—to process. 

Learn more about Economic Impact Payments HERE or by clicking on the image below. 

• In the initial reopening phases, schools should space desks six feet apart, eliminate any field trips and school assemblies, and have students eat lunch in their classrooms instead of the cafeteria.

• Churches should hold services through video streaming or at drive-in or outdoor venues as much as possible. They should also encourage everyone to wear cloth face masks, use a stationary collection box, and schedule extra services if necessary to make sure church pews are not packed and congregants stay at least six feet from each other.

• Restaurants should consider using throwaway menus, single-service condiments, and disposable forks, knives, spoons, and dishes. They should install sneeze guards at cash registers, limit the number of employees on a shift, and avoid having buffets, salad bars, and drink stations.