DelBene Releases COVID-19 Resource Guides to Help Navigate CARES Act Benefits

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) released a series of resources guides on April 1 to help individuals, communities, small businesses, and others navigate benefits in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the historic $2 trillion relief package recently passed by Congress and signed into law.

DelBene released guides that are specific to:

• Employment
• Small Businesses
• Mayors and Cities
• The Health Care Sector
• Veterans

The guides provide an overview of the act’s provisions specific to those populations, links to federal, state, and nonprofit resources, and answer frequently asked questions about benefits and how to access them. They will be updated regularly as the law is implemented at the federal and state levels. Guides for additional populations are also in development.

“The CARES Act met a historic moment with historic action. Washington state has been facing this pandemic since the beginning and Congress took action by passing the largest relief package in American history to provide hard hit communities like mine with critical support,” said DelBene. “While federal and state agencies are implementing these provisions, I’m committed to making sure families, workers, small businesses, and communities in Washington state understand how this law will help them and how to access these benefits.”

The CARES Act was the third bipartisan COVID-19 response packageapproved by Congress. In March, Congress passed an $8.3 billion emergency funding bill that provided funds for vaccine development, telemedicine, small business loans, and public health response efforts. Shortly thereafter, Congress passed a second bill, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, that ensured free COVID-19 testing to those who need it, enhanced unemployment benefits, and strengthened food security initiatives.

The resource guides can be found here.