Coronavirus Disaster Relief Information: 

Second COVID-19 Stimulus Bill

New York Forward (Governor’s Office)

Empire State Development (ESD)

Sample Back-to-Work Checklist: click here

  • The above link contains a general checklist your business can follow to assist you in developing your plan to re-open. We also suggest checking with your industry association as a majority of national associations have already developed similar checklists tailored for their respective industry.

Small Business Administration Loans

  • The SBA works directly with Governors to provide targeted, low-interest loans to small businesses and non-profits that have been severely impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.

  • The process by which a state becomes eligible for SBA disaster loan assistance is through a Governor’s request and formal certification of business impact. SBA Field Operations staff and state Emergency Management divisions work through this process together to support the official disaster declaration request.

    • When a request is submitted and approved, SBA public information officers and District Office staff work with the state to announce the opportunity. SBA will then post a link on their website for small businesses to apply for economic injury disaster loans (EIDL).

    • New York has received disaster designation for all counties impacting the 23rd Congressional District.

  • The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Act

    • Approved 4/24/2020

    • Injects additional funding into SBA disaster loan programs - both the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL).

    • Paycheck Protection Program

      • Additional $310 billion in funding (on top of $349 billion in CARES Act)

      • $30 billion carve-out for Insured Depository Institutions and Credit Unions with assets between $10 billion and $50 billion

      • $10 billion carve-out for Community Financial Institutions, Small Insured Depository Insititutions and Credit Unions with less than $10 billion in assets.

      • Additional $50 billion for SBA Disaster Loan Program

      • For more information on the PPP: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program

    • Emergency Injury Disaster Loan Program

      • Additional $10 billion in funding (on top of $10 billion in funding (on top of $10 billion in CARES Act)

      • Expands elgibility to agricultural enterprises with less than 500 employees

      • For more information on Disaster Assistance: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance

    • Public Health Funding

      • $75 billion for hospitals and health care providers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic (on top of $100 billion in CARES Act)

      • $25 billion for testing, including $11 billion for states, localities, territories, tribes and employers.

    • The CARES Act was the third of the COVID-19 relief bills passed by the Federal Government. The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Act was not, nor was it intended to be, of a similar scale and scope of CARES. There is already a fourth bill being discussed by Congress to provide additional relief and support to our economy. The timeline for this bill is uncertain at this time.

  • Payroll Protection Program (PPP)

    • Eligible recipients may qualify for a loan up to $10 million determined by 8 weeks of prior average payroll plus an additional 25% of that amount.

    • Loan payments will be deferred for six months.

    • If you maintain/rehire your workforce, SBA will forgive the portion of the loan proceeds that are used to cover the first 8 weeks of payroll and certain other expenses following loan origination.

    • You are encouraged to apply quickly as there is a funding cap. 

      • Starting April 3, 2020, small businesses and sole proprietors can apply

      • Starting April 10, 2020, independent contractors and self-employed individuals can apply.

      • Here is a link to an overview

      • Here is a link to borrower information 

      • Here is a link to the application 

    • How to calculate ‘Average Monthly Payroll’

      • Most Applicants: Use the average monthly payroll for 2019 (excluding costs over $100,000 on an annualized basis per employee)

      • Seasonal businesses: Option to use the average monthly payroll between February 15, 2019 and June 30, 2019 (excluding costs over $100,000 on an annualized basis per employee)

      • New businesses: Use average monthly payroll from January 1, 2020 to February 29, 2020 (excluding costs over $100,000 on an annualized basis per employee)

    • Application Note:

      • Questions 5-7 are to be completed, signed and dated by each applicant as well as each 20% or greater owner of an Applicant Business.

  • SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)

    • SBA.gov Loans Application: Application

      • The SBA changed the application on 3/29/2020 to include an option to apply for an emergency advance of up to $10,000. This advance does not need to be repaid. If you applied for before the application change, you must re apply to receive the advance.

    • New York Declaration 1636 Fact Sheet: Fact Sheet

    • ESD Presentation on SBA Disaster Loans: Presentation

  • SBA Debt Relief

    • SBA will pay the principal and interest of new 7(a) loans issued prior to September 27, 2020.

    • The SBA will pay the principal and interest of current 7(a) loans for a period of six moths.

  • SBA Express Bridge Loans

    • Express Bridge Loan PILOT Program allows small businesses who currently have a business relationship with the SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 with less paperwork. These can be a term loan or a means to bridge the gap while applying for a direct SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (see above). If a small business has an urgent need for cash while waiting for decision and disbursement from EIDL, they may qualify for an SBA Express Disaster Bridge Loan.

      • Terms:

        • Up to $25,000

        • Fast turnaround

          Will be repaid in full or in part by proceeds from the EIDL loan

    • Find an Express Bridge Loan Lender by connecting with your local SBA District Office.

  • Resources:

US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

 Internal Revenue Service/Department of Treasury

  • 90 day deferral for tax payments, up to $1 million for individuals and $10 million for corporations, with no interest and no penalties.

  • On March 17, the IRS also alerted its employees that effective immediately, the IRS will stop some enforcement actions, including certain levies and collection notices, until further notice.

  • Covid-19 dedicated IRS webpage: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus

The Shared Work Program - New York State Department of Labor

If your business is cutting back please take a look at the Shared Work program.  This allows you to keep staff on but at a reduced rate. More information can be found here: https://www.labor.ny.gov/ui/employerinfo/shared-work-program.shtm

The Shared Work Program. Online weekly certification is available - even if the initial application was done via paper. It is convenient, and participating employees will receive benefits faster by avoiding paper mail delays. www.labor.ny.gov

 Resources for Individuals

NY State of Health

  • Special Enrollment Period through April 15, 2020: Link

Unemployment Benefits

  • Unemployment Insurance (UI) Benefits and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)

  • Unemployment Insurance Fact Sheet: https://www.labor.ny.gov/formsdocs/factsheets/pdfs/p832.pdf

  • After the President’s emergency declaration, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced new guidance stating that workers temporarily quarantined or unable to work due to the coronavirus can be eligible for unemployment benefits. States now have more flexibility, and can pay benefits when workers are quarantined, or when they leave their jobs due to a risk of exposure or to care for a family member.

  • H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which passed the House on March 14 and should pass the Senate this week, also appropriated $1 billion for emergency transfers to states to process and pay unemployment benefits.

    • States would receive half of their allocation within 60 days of the bill’s enactment if they certify that they meet certain requirements, such as ensuring that workers can apply for benefits online or by phone.

    • States would receive the remaining funds if their unemployment claims increased by at least 10% over the same quarter in the previous year. They would have to waive certain eligibility rules for claimants and charges for employers affected by Covid-19.

  • H.R. 6201 also waives the state matching requirement and provides full federal funding for the Extended Benefits (EB) program for the rest of 2020. To qualify, states would need to experience a 10% spike in unemployment claims over the past year and qualify for a full emergency funding transfer under the measure.

    • Background: Eligible laid-off workers can receive regular unemployment benefits for as long as 26 weeks in most states. After exhausting those benefits, individuals in states with rising unemployment can qualify for an additional 13 weeks of benefits — or 20 weeks in some states — through the Extended Benefits (EB) program.

  • NY State DOL Unemployment Benefits Application: https://labor.ny.gov/ui/how_to_file_claim.shtm

Nutrition Assistance

  • On March 14, the House passed H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The Senate is expected to pass the legislation this week. The bill includes:

    • $500 million in emergency funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.

    • $400 million for the Commodity Assistance Program for the emergency food assistance program (TEFAP), $100 million of which could be used for costs related to the distribution of goods.

  • SNAP Benefits for Kids: If a school is closed for at least five consecutive days because of a coronavirus-related public health emergency, states could adjust their SNAP to provide additional aid to households with children eligible for free or reduced price school meals.

  • SNAP Work Requirements: The bill would waive federal work requirements for SNAP eligibility. The waiver would begin the first full month after the bill is enacted and terminate at the end of the first full month after a federal coronavirus-related emergency declaration is lifted.

    • State-imposed work requirements would not be changed, but a person’s participation in SNAP during the emergency could not be counted for determining compliance with work requirements.

  • Other SNAP Benefits: States that make their own emergency or disaster declarations related to Covid-19 could request emergency allotments of food aid to support increased participation in SNAP and address temporary food needs.

  • Meal Program Waivers: The bill allows USDA to waive statutory requirements for several food programs to ensure that meals can be provided during the emergency and to implement safety measures related to preventing the spread of Covid-19. It would allow nationwide waivers of eligible National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program requirements.

    • The department could waive nutritional content requirements and rules to provide meals through the Child and Adult Care Food Program in group settings.

    • Waivers related to Covid-19 that increase the cost to the federal government for school meals would be allowed.

  • WIC Waivers: The measure would allow states to request waivers for the requirement that The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) recipients certify their eligibility in person and for deferring biometric and bloodwork requirements. USDA could also modify or waive WIC administrative requirements that a state can’t meet due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

 Covid-19 Employee Leave Policies

Sick Leave

Note : The President is expected to sign this bill today or tomorrow.

  • Paid Sick Leave: 10 days of fully paid sick leave for full-time employees (pro-rata rules would apply to part-time employees). 

    • Applicable to companies with 500 or fewer employees

    • Employers covered by this requirement would receive a refundable tax credit for the wages required to be paid

      • The credit is capped at $511 per day, and $5,110 altogether, for employees taking leave for themselves (e.g., employee is experiencing symptoms, etc.)

      • The credit is capped at $200 per day, and $2,000 altogether, for employees taking leave to care for a child or other individual (e.g., child is experiencing symptoms, etc.).

    • An equivalent tax credit is available for self-employed persons

    • The Department of Labor has authority to exempt businesses with fewer than 50 employees if paid sick leave requirements "would jeopardize the viability of the business as a going concern"

Family & Medical Leave

  • Note: the House of Representatives passed these provisions on March 14, and the Senate is expected to pass them the week of March 16.

  • 12 weeks of family leave to provide for children due to school closure or lack of childcare because of a public health emergency.

    • Applicable to companies with 500 or fewer employees

    • First 10 days of leave are unpaid

    • Employers would be required to pay employees two-thirds of their wages starting on day 11 (pro-rata rules would apply to part-time employees) and would receive a refundable tax credit for wages required to be paid, capped at $200 per day, and $10,000 altogether.

    • The Department of Labor has authority to:

      • Issue regulations for businesses with fewer than 50 employees if paid sick leave requirements "would jeopardize the viability of the business as a going concern"

      • Exclude health care providers and emergency responders from the requirements

Small Business Administration Coronavirus Small Business Guidance: Link

  • Finger Lakes Regional Office of Empire State Development: Link

  • Empire State Development Guidance for New York State Businesses Related to COVID-19: Link

    • All businesses and counties are advised to reach out to their regional ESD office: Link

    • Empire State Development (ESD) - COVID-19 Related Business Questions: Link

    • Guidance for for Executive Order 202.6 Workforce Reduction: Link

  • New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES): Link

  • International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Resources for Economic Development Planing and Recovery: Link

    • IEDC Free Webinar: Preparing for What Comes Next - March 23, 2020: Link

  • Sign up for the latest COVID-19 updates from New York State: Link

  • NY Attorney General COVID-19 Application for Suspension of Debt Collection Activity: Link

Small Business Development Center

Lindsay Wolf, Business Advisor

118 N Tioga St. Ithaca, NY 14580

p. (607) 777-7230

c. (607) 241-0004

e. wolfl@binghamton.edu