Wolf Administration: Hazard Pay Grants Now Available for Front-Line Workers in Life-Sustaining Industries

Gov. Tom Wolf announced the availability of $50 million in grant funding to help employers provide hazard pay to employees in life-sustaining occupations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hazard pay is intended to keep front-line employees working in vital industry sectors across Pennsylvania. Created through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, this reimbursement-based grant is available to employers offering hazard pay during the eligible program period and will be administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). Businesses may apply for grants up to a maximum of $3 million.

The following applicants are eligible to apply:

Businesses
Health Care Nonprofits
Public Transportation Agencies
Certified Economic Development Organizations (CEDOs)

Eligible Pennsylvania-based industries include:

Health Care and Social Assistance
Ambulatory Health Care Services
Hospitals
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
Food Manufacturing
Food Retail Facilities
Services for Eligible Industries Listed Above and Commercial Industries That Were Not Closed as a Result of the Governor’s Business Closure Order
Janitorial Services to Buildings and Dwellings

For additional information, see a copy of the news release here.

Case Number Update
The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed that as of July 30 at midnight there are 860 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 111,078. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.

Image Source: Gov. Wolf Press Office

PA LEGISLATION

Weeks of July 27 and Aug. 3

The House and Senate were not scheduled for session this past week. The House Human Services Committee held a hearing on the mental health impacts of COVID-19. Other committees held hearings on the safe reopening of schools and the impacts of COVID-19 on restaurants, bars and taverns. There is no session scheduled for the week of Aug. 3, but there will be an informational committee meeting on the challenges facing rural hospitals and further hearings on the safe reopening of schools.

For more information on the PA Legislature, see the Legislature's website.

ADDITIONAL NEWS

Wolf Administration / Legislature:

Department of Health: Order of the Secretary Emergency Room Testing
Department of Human Services: MLTSS Subcommittee Meeting
State Board of Dentistry: Child Abuse Reporting Requirements

News & Views from Around the State:

The Daily Pennsylvanian: Penn professor wins inaugural $80,000 prize to develop rapid COVID-19 breath test
NorthCentralPA.com: Geisinger Medical Center named Center of Excellence for hip and knee replacements
KDKA CBS Pittsburgh: UPMC Studying Whether Convalescent Plasma Can Help Coronavirus Patients With Mild Symptoms
Pennsylvania Business Report: Legislation would protect health care industry from predatory lawsuits
TribLive: Enrollment rises for cyber schools and online academies
Pennsylvania Business Report: Gov. Wolf signs petrochemical tax incentive bill

RESOURCES

State Resources:

Sign up for AlertPA, a text notification system for health, weather, and other important alerts like COVID-19 updates from commonwealth agencies.
Commonwealth of PA Updates
PA DOH Updates
Gov. Wolf Life-sustaining Business Order (issued 3/19)
DCED Order / Business FAQs (issued 3/20, updated 7/30; see new link)
PA DCED COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program administered by PIDA to provide critical working capital financing to PA small businesses adversely impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak

Federal Resources:

Please note, the information provided in this correspondence does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and summaries provided are for general informational purposes only.