Showing posts with label United States HoR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United States HoR. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

House Approves American Rescue Plan Act

Today, the United States House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) by a vote of 220-211. The legislation now heads to the desk of President Joseph R. Biden where it is widely expected to be signed into law.

Key provisions of the Act include:

  • Over $126 billion dollars for public schools. The legislation stipulates that at least 20 percent of the funding be devoted to student learning loss. 
  • Over $350 billion dollars in aid for state and local governments. 
  • An extension of unemployment benefits of $300 per week in payments through September 6.
  • Provides income-based $1,400-dollar individual stimulus payments.
  • Up to $10,200 in tax relief for laid off workers from households with incomes under $150,000 a year.

Also contained in the ARP is $7.1 billion dollars to provide direct funding for the homework gap, the term that commonly refers to the digital divide in education that impacts many students who lack access to devices and/or high-speed broadband when they are out of school. The funding will follow the provisions proposed in the Emergency Educational Connections Act which VSBA strongly supported by having the funding flow though the E-rate program under the direction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). While this funding will not solve the long-term homework gap problem, it is a significant step forward in addressing connectivity issues experienced by students during the pandemic.

To read the entire text of the legislation, click here.

If you have any questions about this legislation, please contact me at 434-295-8722 or jason@vsba.org

Saturday, February 27, 2021

U.S. House Passes $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Plan

Early this morning, the United States House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021—legislation modeled off of President Biden’s recent $1.9 trillion proposal to respond to the ongoing pandemic. The American Rescue Plan Act would provide nearly $130 billion in additional pandemic relief for the K-12 community via the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund, $7.6 billion in funding to connect students to home broadband and devices, and nearly $350 billion in aid for State, Local, and Tribal governments.

Concurrent to this effort in the House, the Senate parliamentarian is currently examining various provisions contained in the legislation to ensure they meet the requirements of the budget reconciliation process in that chamber. While the K-12, broadband, and state and local governmental funding noted above is expected to be included in final legislation considered by the Senate sometime next week, provisions such as a proposed federal minimum wage increase contained in the bill will likely be stripped out of the final legislative package based on a ruling by the parliamentarian prior to Senators voting on the American Rescue Plan Act. This action would likely lower the overall cost of the plan.

The legislation now moves to the United States Senate for further debate and consideration. VSBA will continue to provide updates as the legislation is heard in the United States Senate.

For additional coverage, please click here.