COVID-19 Public Policy Updates

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COVID-19 Public Policy Updates & Resources

UWSELA Action Alerts

8/4/2020 - Congressional Coronavirus Relief, Orleans Parish Public Wi-Fi Proposal
7/22/2020 - Congressional Coronavirus Relief Package - Child Care
7/19/2020 - 2020 Legislative Wrap-Up
6/25/2020 - Early Care and Education
6/24/2020 - Early Care and Education
6/23/2020 - Early Care and Education (Fantasty Sports Contests Tax)
6/19/2020 - Early Care and Education
6/16/2020 - Updated Early Care and Education Ask
6/11/2020 - Early Care and Education
6/1/2020 - Regular Session Wins, Special Session Begins
5/23/2020 - Diaper/Tampon Tax
5/20/2020 - Early Care & Education
5/20/2020 - Diaper/Tampon Tax
5/18/2020 - Breast Cancer Surgery and Breast Reconstruction Insurance Coverage
5/12/2020 - Paid Sick Leave & Diaper/Tampon Tax
5/11/2020 - Domestic Violence & Sexual Abuse
5/8/2020 - Early Care & Education
5/6/2020 - Paid Sick Leave
5/5/2020 - Breast Cancer Surgery and Breast Reconstruction Insurance Coverage
5/5/2020 - Federal Stimulus Check Protections
5/4/2020 - Early Care & Education, Feminine Hygiene Product & Diaper Local Sales & Use Tax Exemption, Maternal Death Analyses, Paid Sick Leave
4/14/2020 - Policy Webinar for Nonprofits
4/9/2020 - Policy Webinar for Nonprofits
4/1/2020 - Census Day
3/24/2020 - Emergency Funding for VITA
3/20/2020 - Federal COVID-19 Relief
3/19/2020 - Federal COVID-19 Relief
3/16/2020 - Federal COVID-19 Relief

Partner Resource Pages

COVID-19 FAQs - Louisiana Department of Health / Louisiana 211 Network
GNO, Inc. Coronavirus Business Updates
Coronavirus Webinars Database - Compiled by GNO, Inc.
Jefferson Chamber COVID-19 Resources
Power Coalition for Equity and Justice Community Resources During Coronavirus Outbreak
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Coronavirus Resource Page

7/24/2020

"‘This is not working.’ Parents juggling jobs and child care under COVID-19 see no good solutions" - PBS NewsHour

7/16/2020

Louisiana Main Street Recovery Program - Small business COVID-19 recovery loans

6/24/2020

Ellevate Louisiana Membership Packet

6/22/2020

Congressional Letter on Child Care Relief - Committee for Economic Development

6/18/2020

Medicaid FMAP One-Pager - United Way

6/11/2020

"Early Childhood Education: Taking Care of the Caretakers" Webinar Recording - Urban League of Louisiana and the Education Trust
Webinar Opportunity: "Police Reform? Let's Talk About It." - June 16, 5-7 p.m., hosted by Urban League of Louisiana

6/2/2020

United Way 5th Stimulus Package Priorities Letter to Congress - United Way Worldwide

5/20/2020

5/15/2020

“More Power: Women at the Polls and in Policy” Webinar - Louisiana Center for Health Equity
“COVID-19 Butterfly Effect: The New Era of SDoH” Webinar - Revel Health

5/8/2020

The COVID-19 Crisis Has Already Left Too Many Children Hungry in America - The Hamilton Project

5/5/2020

Child Care in State Economics - 2019 Update - Committee for Economic Development
Fact Sheet: Paid Sick Days Are Good for Business - National Partnership for Women & Families
Valuing Good Health in Austin, Texas: The Costs and Benefits of Earned Sick Days - Institute for Women's Policy Research

5/4/2020

State Policy COVID-19 Response Toolkit - National Skills Coalition

5/1/2020

4/30/2020

An equitable recovery from COVID-19 is possible - The Lens

4/28/2020

4/23/2020

The Brain Architects Podcast: COVID-19 Special Edition: A Different World - Dr. Jack Shonkoff and Sally Pfitzer discuss how to support healthy child development during a pandemic, including the importance of caring for caregivers.

4/21/2020

Racial Gaps in Financial Outcomes - JP Morgan Chase Institute
LAUW/LAVOAD 4.21.2020 Update

4/20/2020

LAUW/LAVOAD 04.20.20 Update
LAUW - Daily 211 Update for April 19 from LAUW President & CEO Sarah Berthelot
- As of 7am this morning, Louisiana 211 has 51, 251 calls seeking information on COVID-19.
- 34,500+ mobile users have texted LACOVID to receive links to www.gov.la.gov, www.ldh.la.gov/coronavirus and www.la211help.org with info to call 211 for help.
- www.la211help.org offers a comprehensive set of the most frequently asked questions with answers curated by LDH. This website is also a link from www.ldh.la.gov/coronavirus 
- 43,082 mobile users have used the GETSNAP keyword.

4/17/2020

Save Small Business Toolkit - U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Below are resources shared by the A2C Coalition from Stacey Roussel, Policy Director of the Louisiana Budget Project.
- Governor's Task Forces
  - COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force
  - Resilient Louisiana Commission
- LPB Resource: COVID-19 in Louisiana
- Webinar Recordings from this week
  - NO, WE’RE NOT IMMUNE: The Impact of Coronavirus on African-American Whole Health in Louisiana Tele-Town Hall - Hosted by the Louisiana - Hosted by Urban League of Louisiana and the Louisiana Public Health Institute
  - "LA's economic future with Sen. John Kennedy and Dr. Loren Scott" - Baton Rouge Business Report
- The Louisiana Association of Health Plans announced it would file suit against LDI in objection to the emergency rules, which provide numerous important consumer protections during the COVID-19 public health emergency. You can find more about it in this article from The Advocate.

4/16/2020

United Way CEO Sign On Letter for Coronavirus Relief - 445 United Way leaders, including United Way SELA President & CEO Michael Williamson, signed this letter in support of United Way policy priorities for the next comprehensive coronavirus relief package. The letter was distributed to staff in every Congressional office.
National Skills Coalition
COVID-19 Policy Resources & Recommendations - The Ounce

4/15/2020

Webinar: COVID-19 Legislation and Implications for Nonprofits - This webinar, hosted by United Way of Southeast Louisiana, features public policy experts Steve Taylor (Senior Vice President and Counsel, Public Policy, United Way Worldwide), Jan Moller (Executive Director, Louisiana Budget Project), and Tina Vanichchagorn (Special Counsel, Governor John Bel Edwards' Office). View the webinar recording here and the presentation deck here.
LAUW/LAVOAD 04.14.20 Update

4/13/2020

"The Impact of COVID-19 on Louisiana Child Care Providers" - Louisiana Policy Institute for Children
New COVID-19 Guides and Invitations from the U.S. Chamber

4/10/2020

Louisiana CARES Supplemental Funding Awards

4/8/2020

4/7/2020

Unemployment Insurance Survey - The Louisiana Budget Project is conducting a survey on the experiences of Louisiana workers who are trying to apply for unemployment insurance benefits to better inform their advocacy. Please share this survey with your networks.
Tulane University School of Medicine COVID-19 Study - Tulane University School of medicine is conducting a study to understand and develop treatments for severe COVID-19 infections.
Statement on the Provision of Emergency Child Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
GNO, Inc. Coronavirus Update - 4/7/2020

4/6/2020

Nonprofit Essentials for Preparing for COVID-19 Pandemic: State Budget and Policy Implications - Webinar from the Greater New Orleans Foundation & Louisiana Budget Project. View the webinar recording here and the deck here.
Tenants’ Rights: COVID-19/Coronavirus Legal Updates FAQ - Southeast Louisiana Legal Services
How Will States and Localities Divide the Fiscal Relief in the Coronavirus Relief Fund? - Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Coronavirus Tips: Frequently Asked Questions and Advice - The New York Times
GNO, Inc. Coronavirus Update - 4/6/2020

4/3/2020

CARES ACT: Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program Frequently Asked Questions - United Way Worldwide
Financial Assistance for United Ways in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) - United Way Worldwide
Maximizing Medicaid to Address the Impact of COVID-19 - Center on Budget and Policy Prioritites
Center for Education and Workforce - U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Week in Review: March 30th - April 3rd - New Orleans Neighborhood Engagement Office
Cash Flow Management During a Crisis - Postlethwaite & Netterville

4/2/2020

Gov. Edwards: State-Led Program To Offer COVID-19 Small Business Help - On April 1, 2020, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced a new Louisiana Loan Portfolio Guaranty Program, which will offer loans of up to $100,000 to Louisiana small businesses of fewer than 100 employees that are impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Learn more.
4.2.20 VOAD/LAUW COVID-19 Updates
Assistance Resources for Those Impacted by COVID-19 - Resouce list from BizNewOrleans.com
Important 2020 Census Dates
Short Term Rentals for Healthcare Workers & First Responders in New Orleans - EMS Staff Housing is working with a group of real estate owners/investors to offer their vacant investment properties to healthcare workers and first responders with flexible terms at discounted rates. Learn more.
Louisiana Anti-Hunger Coalititon Update - An update from Danny Mintz at the Louisiana Budget Project.
- Apparently, the effort to let people know about yesterday afternoon's deadline to file for March SNAP benefits was successful: DCFS estimates that they received over 22,000 applications for the program, yesterday alone. This is a very substantial increase over their normal application volume — before the coronavirus, the agency averaged a little over 1,000 applications per day, and had been averaging around 3,000 per day over the last two weeks.
- For those of you who work or regularly communicate with SNAP clients, please help spread the word that DCFS's systems (application processing, telephone help line, and LAhelpU email address) are currently overwhelmed, and that this will likely continue for several days, as the agency processes this spike in applications.
- March redeterminations have not been extended. All cases scheduled for redetermination in March have been processed normally. Redeterminations for April and May will be extended, but the length of that extension is still being determined. DCFS is currently seeking authority from the Food Nutrition Service (the agency that administers SNAP at the national level) to extend all certification periods by 2-3 months. I will let you know immediately if and when I find out details about the certification period extension.
  
  Here is a tweet from DCFS with information about supplemental benefits and the current backlog.
  
  Here is a link to DCFS's updated information page about SNAP changes due to COVID-19.
  
  Click here to join the Louisiana Anti Hunger Coalition email list to receive more updates like this in the future.

3/31/2020

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Facebook Live Info Sessions - Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, a United Way SELA Community Partner, hosted two Facebook Live sessions related to COVID-19 legal issues on 3/31.
- In this video, SLLS Staff Attorney Hannah Adams talks about the current state of evictions in Louisiana, what to do if your landlord illegally locks you out, and how to talk to your landlord about April rent.
- In this video, Paul Tuttle, Managing Attorney of SLLS' Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, discusses how to avoid identity theft and other tax information you need to know in the wake of COVID-19.
Louisiana Anti-Hunger Coalititon Update - People who submit SNAP applications by 4:30 p.m. today (3/31), if eligible for any amount of SNAP, will receive the maximum benefit for March AND April (and subsequent months), regardless of their income level. This is true even if their applications are approved in April—March benefits will be back-loaded onto their EBT card. People applying tomorrow (4/1) will be eligible for benefits beginning in April, but will not be eligible for March benefits, since they will not have applied in March. This is thanks to a supplemental allotment Congress approved in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. DCFS's statement has more information.

3/30/2020

Briefing on Emergency Coronavirus Funding for 501(C)(3) Nonprofits - U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Ready Louisiana Coalition Update - As you likely know, Congress passed and the President signed the CARES Act last week, designed to help people and businesses that are struggling during the pandemic. This stimulus package is the right start to assist in the recovery of this pandemic, while we all recognize more needs to be done to bring back early care and education providers in our country and in Louisiana. National estimates suggest the child care industry needs $50 billion to recover. The CARES Act included $3.5 billion for early care and education block grants, of which Louisiana will receive about $65 million in one-time funding, and $750 million for the national Head Start program. It is a good start, but these funds will not cover the tremendous need to assist struggling child care businesses or families as we recover from the pandemic. We need our congressional delegation to remain informed about this issue and vigilant about pursuing policies and funding that put Louisiana's children, working families, and the economy back on the right track. Click here to view letters sent to Louisiana's federal delegation.

3/27/2020

3/26/2020