Dear Friends,
Yesterday, 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 throughout 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 who have been 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.
I am also pleased that after concerns were raised by members of Congress, the Treasury Department issued guidance clarifying that some hospitals owned by governmental entities may be eligible for a loan from the PPP to keep their workers on the payroll. This is especially beneficial for our rural hospitals in Arkansas.
Hospitals that are partially owned by state and local governments and receive less than half of their total funds from public sources—excluding Medicaid—are eligible for a PPP loan.
If you need information about PPP loans, please contact me at Hill.House.gov or call my office at (501) 324-5941.
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Caring for Central Arkansas Health Care Workers |
In the midst of this pandemic, the generosity and kindness of Arkansans has shined. Every day, I am proud of the countless Arkansans who have gone above and beyond to help their communities make it through this crisis.
In central Arkansas, almost three dozen churches and businesses have pooled their resources to purchase meals for medical personnel from local restaurants, supporting both our front-line workers and our local establishments.
According to a recent Arkansas Democrat Gazette article, the church-funded effort, dubbed Operation Belly Hugs, has created a sustained flow of revenue and support to dining establishments as they deliver meals to Central Arkansas Baptist Health locations; Conway Regional Medical Center in Conway; and CHI St. Vincent Medical Center, Arkansas Children's Hospital, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.
I commend all of their efforts to help both our restaurants and our health care workers make it through this unprecedented public health and economic crisis. If you are able, I encourage you to help support local restaurants, which have been severely impacted by the spread of COVID-19.
For a list of restaurants that are offering carry out, curbside pick up, and delivery for their customers, click HERE or on the image below.
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DIRECT PAYMENTS HEADED TO AMERICANS
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Relief Headed to You Soon |
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 all of 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 in the coming week. These 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.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Social Security recipients who don’t file tax returns should get their money by April 29 and 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.
| ATTENTION VETERANS AND SSI RECIPIENTS |
VA, SSI Recipients with Dependents Must Act By May 5 |
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a special alert that Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Department of Veterans Affairs 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.
New COVID-19 Testing Site Available
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A COVID-19 drive-thru testing site opened yesterday in the parking lot of the Walmart located at 2700 S. Shackleford Road in Little Rock. There are no out of pocket costs to receive a test. The site is open from 9 AM to 4 PM, weather permitting, and the test will be available to all health care providers and first responders and individuals who are exhibiting symptoms of the coronavirus.
The testing site will require an appointment through www.MyQuestCOVIDTest.com, which will screen and schedule appointments for those individuals that are eligible. On-site scheduling will be available for those who need it.
Once on-site, those being tested will need to stay in their cars for verification of eligibility criteria, an ID check, and a self-administered test. For the safety of all those on-site, the test site is not available to those who walk up.
Any questions regarding testing and appointments, please call Quest’s dedicated COVID-19 line at 866-448-7719.
Joining Leland Vittert on America's News Headquarters |
Sunday, I joined America's News Headquarters to discuss the federal government's response to the coronavirus.
Congress has allocated nearly $3 trillion to defeat the coronavirus. But don't forget, the Federal Reserve and Treasury are leveraging the Exchange Stabilization Fund and when you add that benefit it's almost a $7 trillion injection - nearly 30% of our GDP - into our economy to defeat this virus. Before spending more money, we need to see the results over the next few weeks and assess how this plays out.
Watch my full interview with Fox News' Leland Vittert by clicking HERE or on the image below.
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Additional $100 million available to Firefighters
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CARES Act Provisions for First Responders |
Fire service organizations nationwide with membership on the front lines in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be able to apply for a share of $100 million in funding to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies. The funding is part of the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act through the FEMA Assistance for Firefighters Grant Program (AFGP).
FEMA will begin accepting applications for the Fiscal Year 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant - COVID-19 Supplemental Program (AFG-S) on Tuesday, April 28. The deadline for applications is May 15. AFG-S provides direct financial assistance to eligible fire departments, nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations and state fire training academies.
If you have questions about the technical assistance tools, e-mail the AFG Grants Help Desk at firegrants@fema.dhs.gov, or call at (866) 274-0960. The AFG Help Desk is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT, Monday – Friday.
If you would like a grant support letter to assist you in securing a grant through the AFGP, please call my office at (501) 324-5941.
Sincerely,
Representative French Hill
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