Background 

On April, 24, 2020, the President signed into law H.R. 266, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Health Care Enhancement Act. This bill is the fourth COVID-19 related legislative package. It replenishes funding for small business loan programs and provides additional funding to support healthcare through the following:  

Small Business Act Programs

·       Appropriates an additional $310 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program and an additional $10 billion for the program’s administrative costs.

• Creates a $60 billion set-aside for Insured Depository Institutions, Credit Unions, and Community Financial Institutions.
• Appropriates an additional $50 billion for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and $10 billion for EIDL grants.
• Allows agricultural enterprises, as defined by section 18(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 647(b)), with not more than 500 employees to receive EIDL grants and loans.

Hospitals

·       Provides $75 billion to reimburse hospitals and healthcare providers for COVID-19 related expenses and lost revenue.

o   A portion of this funding may be transferred to Indian Health Service (IHS) directly-operated programs and tribal health programs, similar to funding transfers provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136).

Testing

·       Provides $750 million to tribal nations, tribal organizations, and urban Indian health organizations, in coordination with IHS, from the $11 billion allocated to states, local governments, territories, and tribal nations to develop, purchase, administer, process, and analyze COVID-19 tests, scale up laboratory capacity, and trace the spread of the disease.