Federal, State & Local Responses
Greetings!

The rapid flow of information regarding COVID-19 is perhaps only equaled by the pace at which the information is changing. The Overland Park Chamber regularly works with all levels of government to create an economic climate that supports prosperity for your business and our community. We want to thank our partners at the United States Chamber of Commerce for allowing us to borrow liberally from their federal updates. We have summarized the federal action below to help keep you informed.
 
Following the federal update is a summary of state and local actions taken to support your business and the economy.
 
Please keep in mind that the impact of COVID-19 is constantly changing and right now our governmental entities are working hard to prioritize their actions to protect our health and our economy. We are regularly communicating with lawmakers from all levels of government and we will continue to work with them to insure they are fully aware of the resources and relief you need to keep your business running efficiently during this unprecedented period of time. The information below is subject to change at any time.
 
 
Federal Action

The federal response has occurred in phases with the first phase focused on ramping up the country’s ability to respond to factors focused on public health. The second phase has more emphasis on protections for the American workforce while the third phase is shaping up to be focused on stimulating the economy.
 
On Thursday, March 20, the United States Senate passed H.R. 6201 – the Families First Coronavirus Response Act . This proposal, commonly called Phase II, was signed into law late last night by President Trump. This bill provides, among other things, provisions to address Paid Sick Leave, Paid Family and Medical Leave, and Unemployment Insurance for workers displaced by the ongoing outbreak. Furthermore, it includes provisions to provide diagnostic testing for coronavirus, and bolsters Medicaid and nutrition programs for at risk populations. To see the U.S. Chamber's summary, click here .
 
This relief efforts in this bill follow on the heels of an $8.3 billion emergency supplemental appropriations bill that was signed into law in early March. This bill, known as Phase I, primarily provided government health and public safety agencies the resources they needed to ramp up operations including vaccine development, support services and financing for Small Business Administration loans. For more information on SBA loans, click here .
 
Congress has turned its attention to the development of an economic stimulus package – something many want to resolve over the weekend or early next week. This proposal, commonly referred to as Phase III, is likely to include cash support for American families that are reportedly in the neighborhood of $1000 per person. This proposal seems to be emanating mostly from the Senate as the House took the lead on the proposal signed into law this week.
 
Other key concepts that seem to be in consideration for inclusion in this third bill include:
  • Support for business sectors that have been heavily impacted including travel, hospitality and possibly even the energy sector.
  • Support for the health care sector including support for community health centers
  • Support to bolster transportation and infrastructure projects
 
The U.S. Chamber is working with members of the senate to bolster the Phase III bill with specific remedies for the business community. These proposals include:
  • Cancelling the payment of all payroll taxes typically paid by employers for the months of March, April, and May
  • Expanding and streamlining loan programs for small businesses with fewer than 500 employees experiencing revenue loss as a result of the Coronavirus.
  • Enabling the creation of credit facilities to provide loans and loan guarantees to employers with more than 500 employees experiencing significant revenue loss as a result of the Coronavirus.
To see details of their request, click here .
 
President Trump, federal agencies and Congress are actively looking at what else can be done to bring COVID-19 under control while simultaneously propping up our economy. Among the actions approved or being considered include:
  • President Trump announced he will invoke the Defense Production Act to give the Administration more powers to utilize manufacturing capabilities to meet needs associated with COVID-19.
  • The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) pushed the tax filing deadline back three months from the April 15 date in response to the pandemic.
  • The U.S. will be closing the Canadian and Mexican borders to all non-essential traffic. Trade will not be effected.
  • President Trump announced that he would suspend all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days in addition to existing travel restrictions from China and Iran.
  • The Federal Reserve announced that it will establish a Primary Dealer Credit Facility to support dealers' market-making as the economy continues to slow due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) outlined actions aimed at providing banks additional flexibility to support households and businesses during the outbreak. The Fed slashed interest rates to a range of 0-0.25 percent, and will buy hundreds of billions of dollars in bonds in an effort to stave off economic hardships.
 
 
State Action
 
The Kansas Legislature wrapped up its work earlier this week. Legislators intend to return to Topeka in late April to wrap up their work at which time they could also consider additional actions to address the ongoing COVID-19 situation. Before adjourning, the legislature modified the state’s unemployment insurance program eliminating the one-week waiting period and extending unemployment benefits to 26 weeks. Currently the state plan ties the maximum number of benefit weeks to the unemployment rate. With historic employment lows, benefits currently max out at 16 weeks. These changes are temporary and will revert back to the current formula on April 1, 2021.
 
Other actions announced by Governor Kelly today include:
  • The State of Kansas has applied for an official disaster declaration by the United States Small Business Administration. Once approved, Kansas for-profit and not-for-profit can apply for low-interest loans of up to $2 million to support their business operations. Approval is expected as early as Friday afternoon. For more information on SBA loans, click here.
  • Hospitality Industry Relief Emergency (HIRE) Fund – State of Kansas has allocated $5 million to provide short-term, zero-interest loans for the hospitality industry. For details, click here.
  • The Department of Labor announced unemployment claims rose to 11,355 – an increase of 10,000 claims from the prior week. The department is providing regular updates to support employers on their website: click here.
 
Local Action

  • The City of Overland Park has eased restrictions on temporary signage and eased other requirements allowing business to promote their business during this uncertain period. For information about this temporary change, click here.
  • The City of Overland Park has cancelled city council meetings between March 19 and April 3. Community centers, golf courses and other city facilities are impacted by health recommendations to limit group interactions. For now, the Arboretum are still open for public use. For details on City services and events, click here.
  • Johnson County Board of Public Health (BOCC) issued an emergency public health order that prohibits public gatherings of more than 10 until April 2. The new order removes an earlier exemption of religious and faith-based activities, weddings and funerals. Government and judicial functions, healthcare facilities and private businesses remain exempt from the order. For details, click here.
  • Johnson County has also created a webpage to provide county residents with COVID-19 information. To view, click here.


Other Resources

The U.S. Chamber has compiled a great resource kit you can access here . 

The Overland Park Chamber continues to update its COVID-19 resources for businesses on a new webpage: click here .

Please know we are engaged in conversations and working to represent your concerns. If you have questions or have suggestions for our policy leaders to consider, we are happy to engage them in a conversation. 


Sincerely,
‌
Tracey Osborne Oltjen, CCE, IOM
President & CEO