The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a cornerstone of aid offered to provide small business loans on favorable terms to borrowers impacted by the current state of economic uncertainty. You apply through an SBA-approved financial institution.

Small businesses, nonprofits, Tribal business concerns, and veteran’s organizations that were in business on February 15, 2020 than have less than 500 employees or the applicable size standard for the industry as provided by SBA, or are sole proprietors, self-employed individuals, or independent contractors.

The PPP provides federally-guaranteed loans up to a maximum amount of $10 million to eligible businesses, which can be partially forgivable (as elaborated below), to encourage businesses to retain employees through the COVID-19 crisis by assisting in the payment of certain operational costs. To apply, please go here. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has published a Coronavirus Emergency Loans Small Business Guide and Checklist, which is available here.

Congress has passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201). This bill does several things:

• Establish a federal emergency paid leave benefits program for employees taking unpaid pandemic leave
• Expand unemployment benefits and provide grants to states for processing and paying claims
• Require employers to provide paid sick leave to employees
• Establish requirements for providing COVID-19 diagnostic testing at no cost to consumers
• Treat personal respiratory protective devices as covered countermeasures that are eligible for certain liability protections
• Temporarily increase the Medicaid federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP)

On March 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor issued its first round of guidance on how to take advantage of the protections and relief offered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) effective April 1, 2020. The FFCRA requires small employers to provide Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency Paid Family Leave, employer-sponsored group health plans to cover COVID-19 testing, and boosts state unemployment funds. For more details, please visit here.

The U.S. Department of Treasury proposed three key terms for COVID-19 legislation specific to the Exchange Stabilization Fund, economic impact payments and small business interruption loans. Click here to view the full stage three proposal.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued guidance entitled SBA Disaster Assistance in Response to the Coronavirus, explaining how the SBA is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Below are several resources relating to loans available through the Small Business Administration. You can reach the SBA disaster assistance customer service center at 1-800-659-2955 or disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

• SBA Disaster Loan Assistance/ Online Application
• SBA Small Business Guidance and Loan Resources
• SBA Disaster Assistance in Response to Coronavirus
• Find Local SBA Assistance Near You

Also provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.  Small businesses owners (≤500 FTEs) in all U.S. states and territories are currently eligible to apply for a low-interest loan due to COVID-19. For more details, visit SBA.gov/Disaster.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S. Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service announced the new deadline for personal and business Federal Tax filings would be July 15, 2020.  For more details, go here.

the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued the following:

• Coronavirus Tax Relief webpage
• COVID-19-Related Tax Credits for Required Paid Leave Provided by Small and Midsize Businesses FAQs
• Employee Retention Credit for Many Businesses Financially Impacted by COVID-19

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has created a resource page for workers and employers. The DOL’s Wage and Hour Division provides these posters and guidance:

• Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Questions and Answers
• Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Employer Paid Leave Requirements
• Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Employee Paid Leave Rights
• Employee Rights: Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
• ​Families First Coronavirus Response Act Notice – Frequently Asked Questions
• COVID-19 and the American Workplace
• Fact Sheet #70: Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Furloughs and Other Reductions in Pay and Hours Worked Issues
• COVID-19 or Other Public Health Emergencies and the Fair Labor Standards Act Questions and Answers
• COVID-19 and the Family and Medical Leave Act Questions and Answers

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has created a landing page entitled What You Should Know About the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and COVID-19, which provides links to resources and guidance.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has created a COVID-19 website for workers and employers that addresses the disease and provides guidance and other resources for preventing exposure to and infection with the virus. OSHA has also issued the publication Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19.

A bureau within the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Economic Development Administration leads the federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness and preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. The EDA has a webpage dedicated to government response to COVID-19 and vows to help communities preserve their economies during this national emergency.

The EDA encourages counties, districts, state agencies and others unable to maintain a pre-COVID-19 economy to apply for a Revolving Loan Fund grant. Existing regulations allow EDA to approve up to an 80% match application, depending on need and availability of funds. Applicants need to fund 20% of the project’s cost, and the EDA grant would cover the remaining 80%. For more details, please visit here.

On March 23, 2020, the Federal Reserve announced extensive new measures to support the economy including the Main Street Business Lending Program. This program will support lending to eligible small-and-medium sized businesses, complementing efforts by the SBA. For more details, please visit here.

JAN Materials

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) Accommodation and Compliance: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) webpage links to resources for employers regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and coronavirus.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development has taken immediate actions to help rural residents, businesses, and communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak including its rural utilities, rural housing, and rural business-cooperative services. For more details, visit here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidance for businesses and employers on how to plan, prepare, and respond to the coronavirus-this includes cleaning and disinfecting recommendations and employee best practices. For more details, please visit here.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a variety of guidance documents, downloadable posters, and other printable resources:

• Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease
• Guidance Documents 
• What you need to know poster (English, Spanish, Chinese)
• What to do if you are sick poster (English, Spanish, Chinese)
• Stop the spread of germs poster (English, Spanish, Chinese)
• Symptoms of coronavirus poster (English, Spanish)
• The President’s Coronavirus Guidelines – 15 Days to Slow the Spread
• Workplace, School and Home Guidance poster
• Phone Numbers for State and Local Health Departments
• See all CDC print resources

Keep up to date on CDC guidance for specific industries, latest updates, and resources on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) main page.

On March 20^th, due to precautions being implemented by employers and employees related to physical proximity associated with COVID-19, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today that it will exercise discretion to defer the physical presence requirements associated with Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) under Section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Learn more here.

FEMA has issued guidance for businesses that are able to provide medical supplies or equipment to the coronavirus response efforts. Information is also available for businesses that can start producing a product related to the COVID-19 response.

To sell medical supplies or equipment to the federal government, please email specifics to covidsupplies@fema.dhs.gov. If you have medical supplies or equipment to donate, please use the following link . If you have a private company that wants to produce a product, please email nbeoc@max.gov.

On March 12, 2020, EXIM underscored its strong support for new initiatives to inject liquidity into the market and give maximum financing flexibility to facilitate sales of U.S. goods and services abroad during the COVID-19 crisis. Please see below a list of opportunities available to small businesses with additional flexibilities. If you have any questions, please reach out to Paul.Duncan@exim.gov.

International customers need several billion dollars in temporary, short-term bridge financing to enable them to acquire U.S. goods and services. The Bridge Financing Program will enable exporters to go forward through short-term (e.g., one year) financing of these U.S. exports until private sector liquidity returns. Foreign buyers of capital equipment that need longer term repayment terms. For more details, please visit here.

EXIM’s existing Supply Chain Financing Guarantee Program enables suppliers to sell their accounts receivable to a lender to obtain early payment of invoices at a discounted rate, while EXIM guarantees the lender’s purchase of the accounts receivable. This helps suppliers obtain cash quickly (often at lower rates that reflect the credit of the buyer) and increase liquidity to fulfill new orders. However, the availability of existing commercial options combined with certain program features suppresses demand for the offering. In light of expected liquidity constraints in exporter supply chains, EXIM will expand the program by relaxing its criteria and increasing its guarantee level. ​Exporters of USA Goods (and their foreign affiliates) can find more details here.

EXIM’s Working Capital Guarantee Program facilitates loans from commercial lenders, typically through Designated Authority (DA) lenders, to creditworthy U.S. businesses that export over the term of the loan. Recently, many DA lenders expressed to EXIM the need for greater working capital financing support given the significant and growing liquidity pressure on suppliers and exporters. In response, EXIM will temporarily modify the program to make it more flexible. Specifically, the agency will expand program eligibility to cover all inventory that could potentially be exported, reduce the program’s fee structure, and temporarily increase the guarantee level. Exporters (both direct AND indirect) of USA Goods and services are eligible to participate in this program. For more information, please visit here.

​Connect to the global network of experienced trade specialists working virtually via email, conference call, Skype, or video conference to discuss your international business plans. Businesses, individuals, and organizations interested in expanding internationally, Contact Shelby.Daiek@trade.gov for additional details.

The National Governors Association (NGA) Coronavirus: What You Need to Know web page tracks state initiatives and provides other data.

In response to COVID-19, the Office of Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a bulletin regarding HIPAA Privacy and COVID-19.

For more federal sources, please visit https://www.usa.gov/coronavirus.

• Wyoming

  Covid19.wyo.gov

  Department of Workforce Services Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) employer information Workforce Resources in Response to COVID-19