Over the past several days, several committees of the U.S. House of Representatives approved various parts of the $1.9 trillion COVID relief package that President Biden proposed last month. The committee markups provided the first glimpse at the details of the COVID relief plan, including many provisions that would help nonprofits and the communities they serve. Some highlights for nonprofits include:

Next week, the House Budget Committee will assemble the various parts of the bill so that the full House can vote on it later this month. President Biden hopes to have it signed into law before unemployment benefits expire on March 14. Because Congress is using the budget reconciliation process for this COVID relief plan, it only needs 50 votes to pass the Senate (most bills require 60 votes for Senate approval).

With the House Budget Committee taking up the bill next week, it is important that nonprofits, continue to ask members of Congress to help charitable organizations maintain their operations by including four important policy solutions in the final COVID relief bill. Over the past three weeks, more than 3,000 nonprofits from all 50 states (including 225 from North Carolina) have signed onto a letter asking President Biden and leaders in Congress to:

If your nonprofit hasn’t already done so, please take one minute to add your nonprofit’s name to this national sign-on letter urging federal policymakers to include these provisions in the next COVID relief legislation. We know from experience that policy proposals like these have a much greater chance of adoption when the constituents they’re meant to help show their support by contacting their lawmakers. With your help, we can show every member of North Carolina’s congressional delegation that nonprofits in their districts want these measures. Thank you if your nonprofit is one of the more than 200 from North Carolina that has already joined in this letter.

The NC General Assembly will begin considering its next COVID relief over the next few weeks. This COVID relief bill will likely be developed on a bipartisan basis, so your legislators’ voices will matter, regardless of their political parties. This also means that your voice matters, since you are their constituent! 

Now is a great time to find your state legislators and write them notes to let them know what support the state can provide that would help your community. Before you get started, take a few minutes to read a new blog post from friend of the Center Lisa Hazirjian with tips on how to write an effective letter to your elected officials – complete with an easy-to-use worksheet and samples of effective letters.

On Wednesday, Governor Roy Cooper signed into law another COVID relief bill (S.36) that ensures the state can fully use recently-approved federal funding for vaccine preparedness, assistance for reopening schools safely, rental assistance, and rural broadband access. The bill, which passed both chambers of the NC General Assembly with unanimous votes, also makes several small changes to the COVID relief that the General Assembly approved last year. Two provisions in the bill are notable for nonprofits:

Nonprofits are trusted messengers, and many North Carolinians are more likely to take important public health actions if the message comes from a familiar nonprofit organization rather than a government official. Your nonprofit can make a big difference in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by spreading information about the availability, safety, and importance of vaccines. 

On Wednesday, the NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced that North Carolina will be opening vaccines to educators, school personnel, and child care workers beginning on February 24. Right now, North Carolina is vaccinating health care workers, long-term care staff and residents, and people 65 and older.

DHHS tools that can help nonprofits spread the word about vaccines include:

On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control released updated guidance on the most effective ways to wear face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The latest CDC guidance includes tips on layering of two masks and on wearing masks snugly so they fully and securely cover the mouth and nose. Nonprofits can share this information with their staffs, volunteers, and the people they serve to help ensure that everyone wears masks in a way that minimizes the spread of COVID-19.

Yesterday, the NC Office of State Budget and Management and the NC General Assembly’s Fiscal Research Division released a new revenue forecast for the 2021-23 biennium. Because of the federal support to the state from the CARES Act and better-than-expected personal income tax and sales tax revenue, state revenues are now expected to be more than $4 billion higher over the two-year period than when state economists last released their projections in May 2020. The improved revenue projection is good news for nonprofits because it should reduce the pressure on state legislators to cut or eliminate state grants and appropriations to nonprofits or to consider new taxes on nonprofits as a way to raise new revenue.

Now that the NC General Assembly is beginning to take up legislation, the Center is talking with legislators from both parties about policy solutions that would help nonprofits operate more effectively. These ideas include:

Throughout the legislative session, the Center will keep you posted when legislators introduce bills to help nonprofits operate more effectively to provide essential services in our communities. We’ll also let you know when there is a need for your nonprofit to take action to advocate for legislators to help nonprofits.

The Center’s legislative priorities are based on input from charitable nonprofits. Let us know if our 2021 Public Policy Agenda for North Carolina’s Nonprofit Sector is missing something important that would help your nonprofit and other organizations throughout North Carolina.