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Group Term Policy Modification Paper

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H.R. 6201 Families First Coronavirus Response Act

Group Term Policy Modification Paper:

H.R. 6201 Families First Coronavirus Response Act

H.R. 6201 Families First Coronavirus Response Act

Introduction

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Wuhan, China, in December 2020 and its spread to other parts of the world has led to significant changes not only in the United States but throughout the world. Globally, the public sector and policymakers have faced the biggest test in generations. New policies have been necessitated by livelihoods and lives hanging in a delicate and terrible balance. Some of the policies put in place are meant to leverage collapsing economies, health cruses, political and social disruption (Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, 2020). The world economy has taken a nosedive. Some international bodies such as WHO and WTO have been working to mitigate the pandemic's adverse effects on a global scale. The script is not different in the national, state, and local effects of coronavirus disease. Both Federal and State Governments have been struggling to contain the spread and impact of the disease on the economy. The pandemic has scaled down economic activities. The U.S. economy has slowed down significantly. Unemployment is growing rapidly. The adverse effects have led to the enactment of several policies to mitigate the impacts (Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, 2020). One of the laws that have been enacted to mitigate the adverse effects of coronavirus disease on the Americans is The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201). This paper evaluates The H.R. 6201 and how it mitigates coronavirus disease's adverse effects on the Americans. That provides funding for Americans to be able to meet their basic financial needs. It increases funding for food stamps, paid leave (14 days) for those employees experiencing effects of coronavirus disease outbreak, and provides funding for free coronavirus testing areas. Additionally, the bill provides funding to mitigate the ongoing economic consequences of the pandemic, protect front-line health workers, expand food assistance to the vulnerable families and children, and support strong unemployment benefits, among other provisions. For our term policy modification paper we have proposed the following change: 

Propose Change

A change in our opinion is for the second stimulus to have been passed to all Americans because as of today people are still without a job and seeking. Those workers who have stayed with their jobs have been reduced in their benefits. Companies with employees less than 500 should be exempted from paying leave to their employees while big companies having more than 500 employees should provide pay leaf otherwise the bill is unfair to small business (Hamilton, 2020)

The Act requires that the employers should provide Emergency Paid Medical and Sick Leave for the employees. Employers are required to put conspicuous notices of the rights of the employees in the strategic locations in the company websites and work sites. They can send posters to employees via email, noticing them of their rights. All employers or organizations with less than five hundred staff members are required under The Act to grant employees Emergency Paid Sick Leave (Lowey, 2020). The employer has the liberty to request that the employee self-quarantine and use it as an Emergency Paid Sick Leave. The Act requires that the employer not replace an employee who has taken an Emergency Paid Sick Leave to cover their shift.

The Act directs that an employee caring for their child whose school has been affected by COVID-19, an individual under self-quarantine or quarantine, should use Emergency Paid Sick leave. The employers receive refundable tax credits to offset the cost incurred for granting their employee medical leaves (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.).

Furthermore, the Act covers the COVID-19 testing and other health provisions to the Americans. The Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medicaid, Medicare, Employer-sponsored group health plans, Indian Health Services, Federal Worker Health Plans, Veteran’s Affairs, and TRICARE should provide coverage for coronavirus disease testing. They do not need to cover the treatment. The Act also expands the unemployment benefits (Lowey, 2020). The United States Department of Labor has provided $1 billion as the unemployment trust fund. These funds increase access to unemployment benefits. The Act requires program modification and supplemental appropriation, such as the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Discussion – Comparable bill to the Family First Coronavirus Response Act

         The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R 6201) is a bill signed into law by the United States president on March 19. It is significant bipartisan legislation that targets to address the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill incorporates a multifaceted set of temporary paid leave mandates and employer reimbursement provisions (Dawson & Long, 2020). Besides, it includes free coronavirus testing, unemployment extension, and food nutrition security. It is a bill among other anticipated bills to be enacted to respond to the economic crisis to guarantee appropriate nutrition and medical treatment to the Coronavirus people. The bill is a temporary medical bill that is expected to expire in December 2020.

         The bill appeals to employees working for employers having fewer than 500 employees, instituting paid sick leaves, and also provides new employee leave benefits. The act offers businesses the approved tax credits to counterbalance new costs attributed to sick leave and paid emergency benefits executed under the bill (Dawson & Long, 2020). Also, it provides credit towards health plan expenditures associated with sick leave and emergency wages. While this bill is unique regarding covering the COVID-19 related cases on business organizations and employees within the United States, it can be compared with other existing health Acts already signed into law.

         The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is one notable comparable bill to the H.R 6201 Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The FMLA falls under labor law that directs larger employers to approve employees' unpaid leave in serious family issues attributed to health (Ruhm, 1997). Compared to the FFCRA, the provisions under this law are that for one to qualify for leave, reasons might entail pregnancy, adoption matters, family or personal illness, foster care placement, or military leave. Generally, the FMLA is envisioned to issue families with resources and time to take care of family-related emergencies.

         Notable similarities between FFCRA and FMLA are that they are health acts that focus on employer and employee relationships on health matters. The First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) amends the FMLA requirements of the covered employers and employees. The amendment contracts the two Bills since the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) specifies guarantees as employees working for an organization with 5o or more employees while the FFCRA stipulates that employees have to be working for an employer with less than 500 employees. Another slight difference between the two Bills emerges on the validity of the law. The FMLA was passed into law in 1993 by Bill Clinton, and it has no expiry provided an employee still works for an organization (Ruhm, 1997). Conversely, the FFCRA is a temporary bill signed into law that remains effective only till December 2020.

         While the House passed the Family First Coronavirus Response Act into law, small businesses were prompt to express their dissatisfaction with the move. The law saw an attack from the small-business groups that regarded the paid leave requirement as exceedingly burdensome and likely damaging to specific businesses. Also, a section of other employers points out that the law does not give specifics on how the determination is to be made and the time that the regulation will be materialized (Dawson & Long, 2020). Besides, the Department of Labor's uncertainty of a suggested regulation, especially for employers having fewer than 50 employees, eventually leaves other industry allies worried.

Results

On March 18, 2020, President Donald Trump signed into law the H.R. 6201. The Act became effective on April 1, 2020, and it is expected to expire on December 1, 2020 (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d.). The Families First Coronavirus Response Act was first introduced on March 11,2020. Which contain four main stimulus, Phase 1 (Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act), Phase 2 (Families First Coronavirus Response Act), Phase 3 (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ((CARES)) Act), and (Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act). Which was passed and signed on March 18, 2020. 

For phase 1, it refers to the enactment of $83 million dollars on March 6, 2020. For measures such as vaccine development and public health funding. The money will be directed to agencies within the department of health and human services (Lowey, 2020).  Phase 2, Families First Coronavirus Response Act that was enacted a week and a half later on March 18,2020. This law cost $104 billion, which was about a dozen more the prior law. This phase has focuses on the following:

· Requiring private health insurance plans and Medicare cover covid-19 testing (Lowey, 2020).

· Expanding unemployment insurance by $1 billion, a number immediately seen as far too low as the unemployment rates swelled, and loosened eligibility requirements (Lowey, 2020).

· Providing for paid sick leave at an employee’s full salary, up to $511 per day, and paid family leave at ⅔ of a parent’s usual salary (Lowey, 2020).

In Phase 3, enable an act posted another week and a half later on March 27, 2020, the most expensive bill that cost $2.2 trillion in history for the American people. These included the following: Sending most Americans either a $1,200 or $2,400 check for single and married people, respectively. There were a few issues that were faced, such as Americans married to non-citizens not getting checks and checks accidentally getting sent to dead people. There was also an establishment of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses to receive forgivable government loans during the shutdown, if they keep their employees on the payroll for eight weeks.  It’s a $669-billion business loan program that’s application started April 3,2020 and the deadline is extended until August 8, 2020. Lastly phase 3.5, reflected for giving money to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses, while counting with public health measures such as virus testing and hospital funding.

Conclusion & Recommendations

The H.R. 6201 has contributed significantly to mitigate the adverse effects of COVID-19. The Act increases funding for food stamps, paid leave for affected by coronavirus employees, and provides funding for free coronavirus testing. Also, the Act has been proactive in providing funding to mitigate the pandemic's ongoing economic consequences, protect front-line health workers, expand food assistance to the vulnerable families and children, and support strong unemployment benefits, among other provisions.  

Local Area Unemployment Statistics 50 States by Percentage 

State	June 2020( P ) rate	Rank
Kentucky	4.3	1
Utah	5.1	2
Idaho	5.6	3
North Dakota	6.1	4
Maine	6.6	5
Oklahoma	6.6	5
Nebraska	6.7	7
Montana	7.1	8
South Dakota	7.2	9
Alabama	7.5	10
Kansas	7.5	10
Georgia	7.6	12
North Carolina	7.6	12
Wyoming	7.6	12
Missouri	7.9	15
Arkansas	8.0	16
Iowa	8.0	16
Maryland	8.0	16
New Mexico	8.3	19
Virginia	8.4	20
Wisconsin	8.5	21
District of Columbia	8.6	22
Minnesota	8.6	22
Texas	8.6	22
Mississippi	8.7	25
South Carolina	8.7	25
Vermont	9.4	27
Louisiana	9.7	28
Tennessee	9.7	28
Connecticut	9.8	30
Washington	9.8	30
Arizona	10.0	32
Florida	10.4	33
West Virginia	10.4	33
Colorado	10.5	35
Ohio	10.9	36
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