The U.S. Senate approved the Families First Coronavirus Response Act in a 90-8 vote on March 18, and President Donald Trump signed it into law a few hours later. The bill will provide free screening, paid leave and enhanced unemployment insurance benefits for people affected by COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill late on March 13. After several days of negotiation, House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced that negotiators had reached a deal with the White House to pass the bill. Trump declared a national emergency March 13 , which frees up billions of dollars to fund public health and removes restrictions on hospitals to treat more patients. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) will provide:

• Free coronavirus testing.
• Paid emergency leave.
• Enhanced unemployment insurance.
• Additional funding for nutritional programs.
• Protections for health care workers and employees responsible for cleaning at-risk places.
• Additional federal funds for Medicaid.

OmegaComp HR is working to stay up to date with the changes impacting California and Federal employment laws. Specifically how these new requirements affect existing paid leave benefits. We can help you with these changes so that you can focus on your business, click the Contact tab above to have one of our HR consultants reach out to you to answer any questions you have.