Trump signs new bill putting $1 billion into unemployment compensation

As the number of confirmed cases rises above 11,000, President Donald Trump has signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Bill into law. The new measure will offer financial support and health/food services for all Americans affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What originally began as a bill in the House of Representatives to supply all Americans with free coronavirus testing, has morphed into a bill that supplies further resources for families and patients who are in need of help.

“Time is of the essence, and the House will move swiftly to protect public health and provide relief for the American people,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a Wednesday release.

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Of the updated titles, the key points of this bill include providing the ability for the Secretary of Agriculture to supply food waivers to students whose schools are closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, and emergency leave days that pay employees of any kind for lost wages due to contraction of the coronavirus.

A $1 billion bump in the yearly available fund for unemployment compensation and 14-days of extra paid emergency sick days, to be made available immediately, will assist Americans whose jobs have been lost or are compromised.

The bill also calls for a requirement of private health plans to cover testing for the coronavirus at no additional cost to their customers. For the full rundown of the bill signed by the President, read the official document.

“Yesterday, I signed into law, a critical support for American workers, families, and small businesses … and more help is on the way as we speak,” Trump said during his address from the White House this morning.