COVID-19 Oversight & Policy Resources for Hill Staff

CRS: Federal Reserve: Recent Actions in Response to COVID-19

March 20: The Federal Reserve (Fed) has taken a number of steps to promote economic and financial stability involving the Fed’s monetary policy and “lender of last resort” roles. Some of these actions are intended to stimulate economic activity by reducing interest rates and others are intended to provide liquidity to financial markets so that firms have access to needed funding.

CRS: Global Economic Effects of COVID-19: In Brief

March 17: The coronavirus outbreak is negatively impacting global economic growth. The virus is affecting a broad swath of economic activities, from tourism, medical supplies and other global value chains, consumer electronics, and financial markets to energy, food, and a range of social activities.

CRS: COVID-19: Current Travel Restrictions and Quarantine Measures

March 17: This Legal Sidebar examines the legal authorities underlying [travel restrictions and quarantine requirements], as well as possible legal challenges to their use.

GAO Podcast: Pandemic Preparedness: Watchdog Report Deep Dig Edition

March 16 (Recorded March 10-11): As the nation contends with the spread of a coronavirus, GAO experts sat down to talk about the government's preparation efforts for a pandemic.

GAO: Science & Tech Spotlight: Coronaviruses

March 3: Coronaviruses can spread rapidly and cause outbreaks with high mortality rates. They were not considered a major risk for humans until the SARS outbreak in 2002. Since then, there have been multiple highly contagious outbreaks originating in animals and spreading to humans—most recently the outbreak in Wuhan, China of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Library of Congress: Coronavirus Resource Guide

Laws, regulations and executive actions in the United States, at both the federal and the state level, and in various countries with respect to the new coronavirus and its spread. Updated weekly.

GSA: Coronavirus Acquisition-Related Information and Resources

OMB guidance, agency memorandums and other resources regarding federal acquisition processes relating to COVID-19.

Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS): COVID-19 Relief Contract Datasheet

An Excel spreadsheet containing information about coronavirus response and relief contracts awarded by the federal government. (Updated regularly)

Taxpayers for Common Sense: COVID-19 Stimulus Tracker and Analysis

Wondering what is going on with the COVID-19 stimulus? Taxpayers for Common Sense has a tracker that follows where that money is going.

American Enterprise Institute: COVID-19 State Action Tracker

Tracks state-by-state level mitigation actions for COVID-19, including National Guard activations, emergency declarations, school closures and more.

Law360: Coronavirus: The Latest Court Closures And Restrictions

As courts across the country take measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, some are restricting access and altering their procedures. Here is a roundup of changes.

Privacy International: Tracking the Global Response to COVID-19

Unprecedented levels of surveillance, data exploitation, and misinformation are being tested across the world in response to the pandemic. This resource tracks announced measures to help contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus by tech companies, governments, and international agencies which may impact people’s privacy and human rights.

Milken Institute: COVID-19 Treatment and Vaccine Tracker

An aggregation of publicly-available information from validated sources. It is not an endorsement of one approach or treatment over another, but simply a list of all treatments and vaccines currently in development.

GovTrack.us: Infected Legislator Tracker

Tracks members of the House and Senate who have reported exposure to or positive tests for COVID-19, and the measures they are taking, including self-quarantining and shutting their offices. (Regularly updated)

CRS: Overview of Initial Responses to COVID-19 by the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts and by Select Courts within the Federal Judiciary

March 30: This CRS Insight provides information related to initial responses to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and select courts within the federal judiciary. Consequently, this Insight is not intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the policies and practices adopted by each federal court or judicial entity.

CRS: COVID-19 and the Defense Industrial Base: DOD Response and Legislative Considerations

March 30: DOD extended “maximum telework flexibilities” to contractors when “contract services can be delivered, without mission degradation, while off-site.” DOD also increased its progress payment rates, issued at a pre-determined percentage of actual incurred costs, from 80% to 90% for large businesses and from 90% to 95% for small businesses.

CRS: COVID-19: Response of the Oil and Gas Pipelines Sector

March 27: As of March 25, CRS is not aware of any pipeline service problems due to coronavirus. Nonetheless, the pipeline sector is taking steps to prevent any such disruptions.

CRS: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Processing Changes Due to COVID-19: In Brief

March 27: This In Brief report provides an overview of the typical FOIA request process and usual conditions for requesting expedited processing of a request. The report then provides analysis of the impact of agency procedures in response to the pandemic on government information availability, and concludes with a survey of announced agency processing alterations.

CRS: COVID-19: The Basics of Domestic Defense Response

March 26: As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded, Congress has considered how the Department of Defense (DOD) might support the U.S. government’s domestic response. Below are the funding, authorities, and descriptions of potential ways DOD might further contribute.

CRS: The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers: COVID-19 Assistance

March 26: This report provides a brief overview of the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers and describes its capacity to help various stakeholders adapt telehealth to provide care during national public health emergencies.

CRS: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) and COVID-19

March 26: The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 gives OSHA the ability to promulgate an ETS that would remain in effect for up to six months without going through the normal review and comment process of rulemaking. OSHA, however, has rarely used this authority in the past—not since the courts struck down its ETS on asbestos in 1983.

CRS: COVID-19: Industrial Mobilization and Defense Production Act (DPA) Implementation

March 25: This Insight considers possible future DPA implementation processes, industrial mobilization, and congressional considerations concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, and is a companion to CRS Insight IN11231.

CRS: Banking Regulators’ Response to COVID-19

March 25: Once it became clear that the COVID-19 outbreak would have serious financial ramifications for households and businesses, the federal agencies that regulate banks and credit unions responded in two general ways as discussed in this Insight: measures to encourage banks to work with customers affected by COVID-19; and adjustments to bank regulation related to capital, liquidity, and supervision.

CRS: Disrupted Federal Elections: Policy Issues for Congress

March 25: This In Focus briefly introduces historical and policy issues that could be relevant for congressional oversight, legislation, or appropriations related to what this product calls disrupted elections. This term means events such as natural disasters, other emergencies, or cyber attacks that could substantially delay or prevent normal voting, election administration, or campaigning.

CRS: COVID-19 and Corporate Debt Market Stress

March 25: In recent years, financial authorities have become increasingly vocal about the buildup of the higher-risk portions of the corporate debt market. This Insight explains the market’s composition and risks in the context of the current coronavirus (COVID-19)-induced capital markets stress.

CRS: Congressional Oversight Provisions in P.L. 116-127, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act

March 24: This Insight details selected oversight provisions included in P.L. 116-127 that mandate reporting to Congress.

CRS: Senior Nutrition Programs’ Response to COVID-19

March 23: This CRS Insight provides information on the COVID-19 response for nutrition programs authorized under the Older Americans Act (OAA) and administered by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

CRS: National Emergency Powers

March 23: The development of The National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. §§1601-1651) and subsequent declarations of national emergency are reviewed in this report.

CRS: COVID-19 and Funding for Civil Aviation

March 23: The reduction in air traffic as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have significant effects on the amount of funds available for civil aviation infrastructure and activities.

CRS: Postponing Federal Elections and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Legal Considerations

March 20: This Sidebar reviews the legal provisions that would constrain any efforts to delay or cancel federal elections during a public health crisis or other national emergency. The first part reviews laws pertaining to presidential elections, and the second part reviews laws relevant to congressional elections.

CRS: COVID-19 and Passenger Airline Travel

March 20: Passenger activity for early March 2020 appeared to be only slightly lower, averaging just under 2 million daily passengers. However, as travel restrictions and warnings in response to COVID-19 have been issued, passenger volumes at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints decreased to less than 1million daily passengers by mid-March 2020.

CRS: COVID-19: Cybercrime Opportunities and Law Enforcement Response

March 19: Criminals can compromise financial assets; hacktivists can flood websites with traffic, effectively shutting them down; and spies can steal intellectual property and government secrets. And, they capitalize on ever changing world events.

CRS: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Poses Challenges for the U.S. Blood Supply

March 13: The current coronavirus outbreak may pose significant challenges for the country's blood supply. Mitigation strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as closures of schools and workplaces, have led to blood drive cancellations, resulting in a critical blood supply shortage in the Pacific Northwest. School closures, event cancellations, and other mitigation strategies in other areas of the country may provide challenges for maintaining a sufficient blood supply.

CRS: COVID-19 and Broadband: Potential Implications for the Digital Divide

March 13: In the midst of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, federal, local, and state governments, in addition to large and small businesses, are considering remote working or distance learning options to help abate the spread of the virus. As these decisions are made, some portion of the population will likely have the option and the capability to shift activities online, while others will not.

CRS: Oversight Provisions in H.R. 6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act

March 12: If lines of communication remain open, voluntary information sharing may prove to be sufficient to meet Congress’s needs and expectations for oversight. However, H.R. 6074 makes explicit a number of requirements regarding both the type and frequency of information Congress will receive.

GAO: National Biodefense Strategy: Opportunities and Challenges with Early Implementation

March 11: Agency officials were also unsure how decisions would be made, especially if addressing gaps or opportunities to leverage resources involved redirecting resources across agency boundaries. Although HHS officials pointed to existing processes and directives for interagency decision making, GAO found there are no clear, detailed processes, roles, and responsibilities for joint decision-making, including how agencies will identify opportunities to leverage resources or who will make and enforce those decisions.

VA OIG: Inspection of Veterans Health Administration’s COVID-19 Screening Processes and Pandemic Readiness

March 26: An examination and rating of screening procedures, access restrictions, and operational readiness of selected medical centers, outpatient clinics, and community living centers.

DOJ OIG: Review of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Preparedness to Respond to Critical Incidents Under Emergency Support Function 13

February 2020: Although the ESF-13 program has matured over time, the Department lacks ESF-13 policies in several key areas.

HHS: Crimson Contagion 2019 Functional Exercise: Draft After-Action Report

October 2019: This report identifies the high-level, cross-cutting strengths and areas for improvement related to the Crimson Contagion 2019 Functional Exercise. The findings are organized into the following sections: Statutory Authorities and Funding; Planning; Operational Coordination; Situational Assessment; Resource Management; and Public Information and Risk Communications. (via the New York Times)

DHS OIG: DHS Pandemic Planning Needs Better Oversight, Training, and Execution

October 2016: DHS cannot be assured that its preparedness plans can be executed effectively during a pandemic event. The Department did not always provide clear guidance or sufficient oversight to ensure components completed and finalized their pandemic plans, verified pandemic training requirements were included in their plans, identified the personal protective equipment needed for a pandemic response, and met exercise and reporting requirements.

University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy: Supply Chain Issues

An ongoing aggregation of recent articles related to business supply chains and how they are being or might be affected by COVID-19.

DOJ: Legislative Proposals for Addressing Issues Created by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Legislative proposals submitted to Congress by the Department of Justice, related to the pandemic response efforts. (via Lawfare)

CRS: The Federal Reserve’s Legal Authorities for Responding to the Economic Impacts of COVID-19

March 27: This Sidebar discusses the Fed’s responses to the coronavirus, the legal bases for those actions, and the central bank’s authority to take further steps to contain the economic fallout from the virus.

CRS: Fostering Behavior Change During Disease Outbreaks: Insights from Ebola Response in Africa

March 27: Successful behavioral change campaigns sought to understand the perceptions and practical needs of affected communities, ensured that communications were accurate and culturally appropriate, and recruited(and in many cases, paid) community members to spearhead local initiatives.In contrast, efforts to use force to effect behavior changes often backfired.

CRS: COVID-19 Response: Constitutional Protections for Private Property

March 27: This Sidebar summarizes federal takings law and analyzes how it may apply to property restrictions in a national public health emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic.

CRS: COVID-19 and Regulation of Public Drinking Water

March 26: The CDC states that conventional drinking water treatments, such as those in most municipal drinking water systems, should remove or inactivate the COVID-19 virus.

CRS: COVID-19: State and Local Shut-Down Orders and Exemptions for Critical Infrastructure

March 26: This Insight provides an overview of the federal critical infrastructure protection and resilience policy framework and discusses its relevance and potential application to the management of essential systems, assets, facilities, and workforces subject to state and local emergency orders.

CRS: Section 1135 Waivers and COVID-19: An Overview

March 25: To address the difficulties of providing health care in exigent circumstances, Section 1135 generally authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS Secretary) to waive or modify specified statutory and regulatory requirements related to the provision of health care services.

CRS: COVID-19 and Federal Procurement Contracts

March 24: Several standard federal procurement contract provisions provide processes by which the government and contractors can adapt to COVID-19-related unexpected circumstances. The clauses include Excusable Delay provisions, Changes clauses, Stop-Work Order provisions, Termination for Convenience clauses, and Continuation of Essential Contractor Services provisions. Use of these clauses could affect the cost and timing of contract performance

CRS: COVID-19: Legal Considerations for Bringing a New Vaccine to Market

March 24: This Sidebar discusses the licensure (i.e.,approval) process for vaccines under the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act) and the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), as well as potential legal avenues for expediting that process to bring a new vaccine to market sooner.

CRS: Required Minimum Distributions from Retirement Accounts Under the Economic Stimulus Proposals Related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

March 24: On March 22, 2020, the Senate released an updated version of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act containing a provision for suspending the penalty for failure to make the required minimum distribution (RMD) from retirement accounts for 2020. A similar provision was included in a proposal in the House released on March 23, the TakeResponsibility for Workers and Families Act.

CRS: Withdrawals and Loans from Retirement Accounts for COVID-19 Expenses

March 24: Congress and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have several policy options that could provide relief for COVID-19 related withdrawals and loans.

CRS: Emergency Funding for Public Transportation Agencies Due to COVID-19

March 23: Fare revenue losses are likely to be compounded by a less immediate decline in local tax revenue dedicated to transit agency budgets, particularly sales and property taxes. With both of these revenue sources under pressure, many transit agencies will likely find it difficult to meet current commitments, such as staff pay and benefits, and to restore service to previous levels once passenger demand rebounds.

CRS: Required Minimum Distributions from Retirement Accounts Under the Economic Stimulus Proposals Related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

March 24: On March 22, 2020, the Senate released an updated version of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act containing a provision for suspending the penalty for failure to make the required minimum distribution (RMD) from retirement accounts for 2020. A similar provision was included in a proposal in the House released on March 23, the TakeResponsibility for Workers and Families Act.

CRS: Withdrawals and Loans from Retirement Accounts for COVID-19 Expenses

March 24: Congress and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have several policy options that could provide relief for COVID-19 related withdrawals and loans.

CRS: COVID-19: An Overview of Trade-Related Measures to Address Access to Medical Goods

March 20: This Sidebar presents an overview of some of the trade-related measures taken by the United States and its trading partners in their efforts to address these concerns, including: (1) introducing export restrictions; (2) reducing or eliminating tariffs; (3) revising import procedures; and (4) prioritizing domestic production. It then discusses possible legal challenges to each of these measures, as well as avenues for congressional action or oversight.

CRS: The Defense Production Act (DPA) and COVID-19: Key Authorities and Policy Considerations

March 18: This Insight considers DPA authorities that may be used to address domestic essential goods and materials shortages caused by the outbreak, and explores potential policy considerations for Congress.

CRS: COVID-19 Medical Countermeasures: Intellectual Property and Affordability

March 18: This Sidebar reviews several intellectual property (IP) rights provisions under current law that the federal government could use to ensure that COVID-19 countermeasures are accessible and affordable.

CRS: USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs’ Response to COVID-19: House-Passed H.R. 6201 and Related Efforts

March 18: This Insight discusses House-passed H.R. 6201’s food assistance provisions, which supplement USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service’s existing COVID-19 response with new funds and authorities.

CRS: The Stafford Act Emergency Declaration for COVID-19

March 13: This Insight provides an overview of emergency declarations under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. It describes the forms of assistance authorized pursuant to President Donald J. Trump’s March 13, 2020, emergency declaration under the Stafford Act in all U.S. states and territories in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

CRS: Telework in Executive Agencies: Background, OPM Guidance, and 116th Congress Legislation Following Coronavirus

March 16: The coronavirus pandemic is prompting a congressional review of the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, as well as OMB guidelines for ensuring that “information and security protections for information and information systems used while teleworking” are adequate and that agencies purchase computer systems that support telework.

CRS: The Defense Production Act of 1950: History, Authorities, and Considerations for Congress

March 2: The Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950 (P.L. 81-774, 50 U.S.C. §§4501et seq.), as amended, confers upon the President a broad set of authorities to influence domestic industry in the interest of national defense. The authorities can be used across the federal government to shape the domestic industrial base so that, when called upon, it is capable of providing essential materials and goods needed for the national defense.

R Street Institute: Regulatory Reforms to Aid COVID-19 Response

While the federal and state governments figure out the appropriate way to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, there are plenty of narrow regulatory reforms they can implement to help people deal with the fallout. This is not to say that regulatory reform is the only solution, but it can be helpful as people struggle to access medical care and food.

CRS: COVID-19 and Stimulus Payments to Individuals: Summary of the 2020 Recovery Rebates in the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136)

March 30: This Insight provides a brief overview of the proposed 2020 recovery rebates included in H.R. 748. These payments are virtually identical to those included in bill text circulated on March 22, 2020.

CRS: Limits on Business Interest Deductions Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

March 27: Limits on the tax deduction for business interest restrictions have been relaxed by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 748, as amended) providing economic stimulus and relief for taxpayers due to the expected slowdown of the economy because of the coronavirus pandemic.

CRS: COVID-19 and the Recovery Rebates in the CARES Act: Social Security and Supplemental Security Income Beneficiaries

March 27: Section 2201 of the CARES Act provides recovery rebates for most individuals, structured as automatically advanced tax credits to be disbursed by the Treasury Department. This Insight addresses the recovery rebates from the perspective of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries.

CRS: Federal Reserve: Emergency Lending

March 27: In response to the financial turmoil caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Fed reopened four of these broadly-based programs and created two new ones in 2020. Treasury pledged $50 billion of assets from the Exchange Stabilization Fund (ESF) to protect the Fed against losses in most of these programs.

CRS: Treasury’s Exchange Stabilization Fund and COVID-19

March 26: H.R. 748, as passed by the Senate on March 25, would appropriate $500 billion to theU.S. Department of Treasury’s Exchange Stabilization Fund (ESF) to support loans, loan guarantees, and investments for businesses affected by COVID-19. In addition, the legislation would temporarily permit the use of the ESF to guarantee money markets, as occurred in the 2008 financial crisis.

CRS: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L.116-123): First Coronavirus Supplemental

March 25: In total, the bill appropriates $6.5 billion to HHS, representing 84% of all funds in the bill. In general, these funds are for health emergency prevention, preparedness, and response activities related to COVID-19. Funds largely support domestic activities, but certain accounts include funds that may be allocated for global health activities.

CRS: COVID-19 Stimulus Assistance to Small Businesses: Issues and Policy Options

March 25: This report provides a brief description of the SBA’s programs, examines congressional action to assist small businesses during and immediately following the Great Recession (2007-2009), and discusses recent legislation to assist small businesses adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

CRS: COVID-19 and Direct Payments to Individuals: Estimated Impact of Recovery Rebates in the March 22 CARES Act on Family Incomes

March 25: To estimate the potential impact of the 2020 recovery rebates, CRS calculated the amount families would receive under the proposals in the March 22 CARES Act. CRS then compared the estimated rebates family would receive to their estimated monthly income.

CRS: Responding to the COVID-19 Outbreak with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Authorities

March 24: Congress has regularly instituted a special variant of CDBG for long-term disaster recovery, known as CDBG-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR). This Insight considers the potential role of CDBG and CDBG-DR as economic development countermeasures to the coronavirus outbreak.

CRS: COVID-19 and Stimulus Payments to Individuals: Summary of the 2020 Recovery Rebates in the March 22 CARES Act

March 23: The proposed 2020 recovery rebates equal $1,200 per person ($2,400 for married taxpayers filing a joint tax return) and $500 per child. These amounts would phase down for higher-income taxpayers. These payments are structured as tax credits automatically advanced to households in 2020 if they filed a 2019 income tax return and would be received as a direct deposit or check by mail.

CRS: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act—Tax Relief for Individuals and Businesses

March 23: This report briefly summarizes the major provisions in the updated version of the CARES Act, released March 22, 2020, as well as Division B of the earlier version of the CARES Act (S. 3548).

CRS: Small Business Administration 7(a) Loan Guaranty Program

March 23: This report discusses the 7(a) program, surveys congressional and presidential actions taken in recent years to enhance small businesses’ access to capital, and briefly discusses bills and proposals to expand the 7(a) program to assist small businesses adversely affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19).

CRS: Targeted Tax Relief for Industries Impacted by the Coronavirus: Selected Policy Issues

March 20: Targeted tax relief is unlikely to keep businesses operating and workers employed if public health measures to contain the virus’s spread cause demand for their products and services to decline sharply. In this case, tax relief may need to be coupled with federal loans, loan guarantees, or grants to prevent an increase in business failures in affected industries.

CRS: COVID-19 Economic Stimulus: Business Payroll Tax Cuts

March 20: Payroll tax cuts for businesses are one option that would provide economic assistance to business activities. There are a number of options for how to structure and implement payroll tax reductions.

CRS: COVID-19 and Stimulus Payments to Individuals: Potential Impacts of Direct Payments on Family Incomes

March 20: To estimate the potential impact of a direct payment, CRS calculated the amount that families would receive under each of three proposals. CRS then compared the estimated benefit a family would receive to their estimated monthly income.

CRS: COVID-19 and Stimulus Payments to Individuals: Summary of the 2020 Recovery Rebates in the CARES Act (S. 3548)

March 20: This Insight provides a brief overview of the proposed 2020 recovery rebates, with several simplified examples to illustrate payment amounts for different families.

CRS: State and Local Fiscal Conditions and Economic Shocks

March 20: This Insight summarizes the underlying forces affecting state and local finances following a negative economic shock, examines tools available to them in response to such forces, and briefly discusses federal assistance offered in recent recessions.

CRS: Federal Assistance to Troubled Industries: Selected Examples

March 19: This report examines selected past instances in which the government has aided troubled industries, providing information about the way in which such assistance was structured, the role of Congress, and the eventual cost

CRS: COVID-19 and Direct Payments to Individuals: Historical Precedents

March 19: There are historical precedents for such payments; most of these were done through the federal income tax code. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sent checks to taxpayers in 1975, 2001, and 2008. An issue with using the IRS to make payments to individuals is that payments generally have been restricted to those who file federal income tax returns.

CRS: COVID-19 and Stimulus Payments to Individuals: How Did the 2008 Recovery Rebates Work?

March 19: In 2008 Congress enacted direct cash payments—the 2008 recovery rebates—that were tax credits advanced to households that had filed an income tax return. This Insight provides a brief overview of how those 2008 recovery rebates worked.

CRS: COVID-19 and Stimulus Payments to Individuals: How the 2009 Economic Recovery Payment Worked

March 18: To assist lawmakers in assessing the merits of such a proposal, this Insight examines the 2009 Economic Recovery Payment (ERP), which was a one-time $250 payment made to most individuals who received recurring cash benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

CRS: COVID-19 and Stimulus Payments to Individuals: Considerations on Using Advanced Refundable Credits as Economic Stimulus

March 17: One mechanism to provide cash payments relatively quickly is to create a new refundable tax credit and then advance it to households before they would otherwise claim it on their income tax returns. A similar policy was enacted most recently in 2008.

CRS: Tax Credit for Paid Sick and Family Leave in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201)

March 17: The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) includes an employer tax credit for paid sick and family leave. This tax credit is intended to help businesses with the cost of providing paid leave to address the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

CRS: Workplace Leave and Unemployment Insurance for Individuals Affected by COVID-19

March 16: This Insight provides a brief overview of the current availability of job-connected assistance to individuals affected by the coronavirus, as well as unemployment insurance benefits. It also discusses policy options to amend or expand existing UI programs to be more responsive to the effects of COVID-19.

CRS: COVID-19: Potential Role of Net Operating Loss (NOL) Carrybacks in Addressing the Economic Effects

March 16: This Insight discusses how allowing net operating loss carrybacks could potentially assist businesses impacted by economic weakness associated with COVID-19.

CRS: COVID-19: The Potential Role of TANF in Addressing the Economic Effects

March 16: The flexibility of states’ use of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families makes it a possible source of funding for them to address the unknown and evolving needs of families resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

CRS: The Financial Industry and Consumers Struggling to Pay Bills during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Outbreak

March 16: This Insight focuses on possible policy options relating to the financial services industry for consumers who may have trouble paying their bills due to the coronavirus outbreak.

CRS: Unemployment Insurance: Legislative Issues in the 116th Congress

March 16: Congress has begun to consider benefits related to two unemployment insurance programs: Unemployment Compensation and Disaster Unemployment Assistance. Congress may consider modifications to these two programs within the federal-state UI system to provide weekly income replacement for individuals unavailable to work or unemployed as a result of COVID-19.

CRS: COVID-19: Social Insurance and Other Income-Support Options for Those Unable to Work

March 12: This In Focus provides an overview of existing federal and state government social insurance programs or options that may be implemented relatively quickly to provide financial assistance for those unable to work due to COVID-19 from (1) their own illness; (2) exposure leading to quarantine; (3) illness of a close family member or school closures that may require long-term caregiving; or (4) unemployment resulting from business closures.

U.S. Government COVID-19 Response Plan

March 13: Outlines the U. S. Government coordinated federal response activities for COVID-19 in the United States. The plan identifies anticipated roles and responsibilities of HHS, other federal departments and agencies, and supporting organizations, to establish lines of authority and avoid overlap and duplication of effort. (via the New York Times)

Veterans Health Administration: COVID-19 Response Plan

March 23: This plan outlines key decisions, actions, and interagency coordinating structures implemented during the COVID-19 response. In addition to our core mission objective of protecting Veterans and staff from infection, providing care for those infected, and maintaining continuity of care for non-infected Veterans, VHA also provides support nationally as outlined in the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act and the NRF.

NSC: Playbook for Early Response to High-Consequence Emerging Infectious Disease Threats and Biological Incidents (2016)

2016: The goal of the playbook is to assist U.S. Government experts and leaders in coordinating a complex U.S. government response to a high-consequence emerging disease threat anywhere in the world with the potential to cause an epidemic, pandemic, or other significant health event. (via Politico)

National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza

November 2005: The U.S. approach to address the threat of pandemic influenza. It outlines how the United States intends to prepare, detect, and respond to a pandemic. It also outlines roles to be played by the Federal government, State and local governments, private industry, international partners, and individual citizens.

Implementation Plan - National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza

May 2006: Further clarifies the roles and responsibilities of governmental and non-governmental entities, including Federal, State, local, and tribal authorities and regional, national, and international stakeholders, and provides preparedness guidance for all segments of society. Includes more than 300 critical actions to address the threat of pandemic influenza.

HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan

November 2005: A blueprint for all HHS pandemic influenza preparedness planning and response activities.

CRS: COVID-19 and U.S. Iran Policy

March 25: Sales to Iran of humanitarian items, including medicine and medical equipment, are generally exempt from any U.S. sanctions. However, executives of many global firms, particularly major international banks, have indicated that they are uncertain about how U.S. sanctions might be applied and have therefore refrained from undertaking any transactions involving Iran, including sales of humanitarian items.

Executive Order on Prioritizing and Allocating Health and Medical Resources to Respond to the Spread of COVID-19

March 18: I find that health and medical resources needed to respond to the spread of COVID-19, including personal protective equipment and ventilators, meet the criteria specified in section 101(b) of the Act (50 U.S.C. 4511(b)).

OMB Memo: Federal Agency Operational Alignment to Slow the Spread of Coronavirus

March 17: The Government must immediately adjust operations and services to minimize face-to-face interactions, especially at those offices or sites where people may be gathering in close proximity or where highly vulnerable populations obtain services.

NIH: Scholarly articles on the COVID-19 disease

An index of scholarly articles as they are published, examining different medical aspects of the COVID-19 disease and pandemic.

CDC Report: Asymptomatic and Presymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Residents of a Long-Term Care Skilled Nursing Facility — King County, Washington, March 2020

Following identification of a case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a health care worker, 76 of 82 residents of an SNF were tested for SARS-CoV-2; 23 (30.3%) had positive test results, approximately half of whom were asymptomatic or presymptomatic on the day of testing.

CDC Report: Public Health Responses to COVID-19 Outbreaks on Cruise Ships — Worldwide, February–March 2020

March 23: Outbreaks of COVID-19 on cruise ships pose a risk for rapid spread of disease beyond the voyage. Aggressive efforts are required to contain spread. All persons should defer all cruise travel worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CDC Report: Severe Outcomes Among Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) — United States, February 12–March 16, 2020

This first preliminary description of outcomes among patients with COVID-19 in the United States indicates that fatality was highest in persons aged ≥85, ranging from 10% to 27%, followed by 3% to 11% among persons aged 65–84 years, 1% to 3% among persons aged 55-64 years, <1% among persons aged 20–54 years, and no fatalities among persons aged ≤19 years.

CDC Report: Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Surveillance and Containment Measures for the First 100 Patients with COVID-19 in Singapore—January 2 – February 29, 2020

Singapore implemented a multipronged surveillance and containment strategy that contributed to enhanced case ascertainment and slowing of the outbreak. Based on review of the first 100 cases, the mean interval from symptom onset to isolation was 5.6 days and declined after approximately 1 month.

CDC Report: COVID-19 in a Long-Term Care Facility — King County, Washington, February 27–March 9, 2020

Introduction of COVID-19 into a long-term residential care facility in Washington resulted in cases among 81 residents, 34 staff members, and 14 visitors; 23 persons died. Limitations in effective infection control and prevention and staff members working in multiple facilities contributed to intra- and interfacility spread.

CDC Report: Initial Investigation of Transmission of COVID-19 Among Crew Members During Quarantine of a Cruise Ship — Yokohama, Japan, February 2020

This report describes findings from the initial phase of the cruise ship investigation into COVID-19 cases among crew members during February 4 - 12, 2020.

Mayer Brown: Coronavirus Travel Restrictions Tracker

A global map showing government-mandated travel restrictions, country by country. Regularly updated.