The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security

(CARES) Act – Key Provisions Summary

The CARES Act provides for $2 trillion in emergency aid as we combat COVID-19. Below are summaries
of key provisions in CARES and what the money appropriated through CARES will do. Should you have
specific questions about what these resources mean for you, do not hesitate to contact our
Constituent Services Team in our state office at 270-782-8303 or visit our website at
www.paul.senate.gov.

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and

Related Agencies ($34.9 billion)

USDA = $9.5 billion in emergency COVID-19 response funding to support agricultural producers
impacted by COVID-19, including producers of specialty crops, producers that supply local food
systems, and livestock producers.

USDA - Rural Business Cooperative Service = $20.5 million to provide necessary subsidy to make $1
billion in lending authority for the Business Industry loan guarantee program, which provides financing
to business owners that might not otherwise qualify for a loan on their own.

USDA – Rural Connect Pilot = $100 million provided in grants for the costs of construction,
improvement, or acquisition of facilities, and equipment needed to provide broadband service in
eligible rural areas.

USDA – Nutrition Service = $25.06 billion provided for nutrition services, including child nutrition
programs and SNAP.

Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies ($3.1 billion)

Department of Commerce
 The Economic Development Administration will make available $1.5 billion to support economic
development grants for states and communities suffering economic injury as a result of the
coronavirus. For more information for funding opportunities, visit
https://www.eda.gov/funding-opportunities/
 The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) will make $50 million to be distributed among
the state MEP centers to help small and medium sized manufacturers recover from the
economic impacts of the coronavirus. For more information on the Kentucky MEP center, visit
https://www.nist.gov/mep/centers/advantage-kentucky-alliance-aka

Department of Justice
 An additional $850 million will be spent in Byrne grants to assist state, local, and tribal officers
in responding to coronavirus. These funds will go directly to state and local governments, with
 no match required, and will support criminal justice needs such as overtime, personal
protective equipment and supplies, and medical needs and other supplies for inmates. To
apply, visit https://bja.ojp.gov/program/jag/funding

National Science Foundation

 An additional $75 million will be spent to support NSF’s ongoing RAPID grant response to
coronavirus, which will support research to better understand coronavirus. For more
information, visit: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20052/nsf20052.jsp

Energy and Water Development ($221.4 million)

Department of Energy (DOE) = $99.5 million to support operations of the national laboratory scientific
user facilities, including equipment, enabling technologies, and personnel to support research and
development efforts related to coronavirus.
- Provides DOE flexibility to postpone a required sale of petroleum from the Strategic Petroleum
Reserve through FY 2022.
- Grants the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) authority to waive the local cost-share for
coronavirus-related grants, allowing funds to be more effectively used in economically
distressed counties served by ARC.

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies ($2.0 billion)

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) = $7.2 million to support research efforts regarding
coronavirus, as well as staffing and associated costs for expediting registrations and other actions
related to addressing coronavirus.

Department of the Interior (DOI) = $158.4 million for equipment and supplies for cleaning buildings
and public areas; support for law enforcement and emergency personnel deployed to critical areas;
increased telework capacity and capability; and other prevention, mitigation, or recovery activities
associated with the coronavirus outbreak. Funds will be allocated by the Secretary, as needed, to all
DOI bureaus with the exception of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Office of Insular Affairs.

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

($172.1 billion)

Health and Human Services: The CARES Act increases funding for various agencies or programs
and includes a number of “health care extenders” for community health centers, Medicare, Medicaid,
and other public health programs. Current funding for these programs is set to expire in late May 2020.
The CARES Act extends that deadline through the end of November 2020.
 Community health centers would receive an additional $1.32 billion in emergency funds for
fiscal year 2020. And the legislation would once again delay payment reductions to
 disproportionate share hospitals. The reduction schedule was most recently delayed until May
23, 2020; the CARES Act would further delay these cuts to December 1, 2020.
 The Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) gets $4.3 billion for coronavirus response --
$1.5 billion earmarked for States’ preparedness and response activities. Of this, $500 million is
allocated for “public health data surveillance and analytics infrastructure modernization.” NIH:
The “National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute” is allocated $103.4 million for coronavirus
response and preparedness and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is
allocated $706 million for coronavirus response and preparedness. CMS Program Management
is allocated $200 million for coronavirus response. Of that, $100 million shall be available for
nursing home facilities with community transmission of the coronavirus. 
 Child care providers will be able to apply to grants in the case of decreased enrollment in
facilities. The total block grant is $3.5 billion, and the Children and Families Services Programs
receive $1.874 billion. $45 million of this goes toward the Family Violence Prevention and
Services Act and $25 million for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. $955 million for the
Administration for Community Living Aging and Disability Services Programs. Of this,
$520million is for continued nutrition services for seniors covered by the Older Americans Act. 

Department of Education = $30.9 billion

- Elementary and Secondary Education = $13.5 billion
- Higher Education = $14.25 billion
- State Flexibility Funding = $3 billion

Financial Aid, Federal Student Loans, Federal Work Study, & Pell Grants:

 Temporary relief for federal student loan borrowers: Requires the Secretary of Education to
defer student loan payments, principal, and interest for 6 months, through September 20,
2020, w/o penalty to the borrower on all federally held student loans. This provides relief to
almost 95% of all student loan borrowers.
 Waives the requirement of an institutional match for campus-based aid programs. Allows
Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) to reallocate leftover Federal Work Study (FWS) funds to
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG) and other emergency financial aid as
needed.
 Allows IHEs to award FWS even if a student is not able to work due to campus closures as a
lump sum or in payments similar to a paycheck
 For students who have had to drop out of school because of COVID-19, any funds awarded
during that term of withdrawal will not be counted against the lifetime subsidized loan
eligibility of those students.
 For students who have had to drop out of school because of COVID-19, any funds awarded
during that term of withdrawal will not be counted against the lifetime Pell Grant eligibility of
those students.
 Student who have dropped out as a result of COVID-19 will not be required to return Pell grants
or student loan funds to the Department of Education.
 Students’ grades will not affect their federal academic requirements to continue receiving Pell
Grants or student loans, provided those students dropped out due to COVID-19.

National Emergency Educational Waivers:

  To alleviate reporting requirements on schools during the national emergency, the bill gives the
Secretary of Education authority to waive provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the
Perkins Act, and the Higher Education Act and most other federal requirements, except for
students civil rights, due to school closures and the unlikelihood they will reopen this academic
year.

Service Obligation to Teachers:

 For teachers who could not finish their year of teaching service as a result of COVID-19, their
partial year of service shall be counted as a full year of service toward TEACH grant obligations
or Teacher Loan Forgiveness. Waives a requirement that teachers must serve consecutive years
of teaching service for Teacher Loan Forgiveness eligibility, if a teacher’s service is not
consecutive as a result of COVID-19.

Authorized Uses and Other Modifications for Grants:

 Authorizes the Secretary of Education to waive or modify current allowable uses of funds for
institutional grant programs (TRIO/GEARUP/Title III/Title V/and sections of Title VII) so colleges
can re-deploy resources and services to COVID-19 efforts. Permits institutions to request
waivers from the Secretary of Education for financial matching requirements in competitive
grant and other MSI grant programs in the Higher Education Act so colleges can devote
institutional resources to COVID-19 efforts.

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies

($48.5 billion)

Department of Housing and Urban Development = $17.4 billion, including:

 Community Development Block Grants = $5 billion, giving communities and states greater
flexibility in providing a wide range of services to address COVID-19, such as services for senior
citizens, the homeless, and public health services. The HUD Secretary can waive any statute or
regulation in connection with these funds if the Secretary finds the waiver is necessary for the
safe and effective administration of the funds.
 Homeless Assistance Grants = $4 billion to enable state and local governments to address
coronavirus among the homeless population, including homelessness prevention measures.
 Tenant-Based Rental Assistance = $1.25 billion to preserve Section 8 voucher rental assistance
for seniors, the disabled, and low-income working families experiencing loss of income due to
the coronavirus.
 Project-Based Rental Assistance = $1 billion to make up for reduced tenant payments as a
result of coronavirus.

 Foreclosure Moratorium and Consumer Right to Request Forbearance.

o Prohibits foreclosures on all federally-backed mortgage loans for a 60-day period

beginning on March 18, 2020.
 o Provides up to 180 days of forbearance for borrowers of a federally-backed mortgage
loan who have experienced a financial hardship related to the COVID-19 emergency.

o The 180 days can also be extended for and additional 180 days if the barrower request
the additional time

o You can request forbearance by:

 Submitting a request to the borrower’s servicer and

 Affirming that the barrower is experiencing financial hardship

o During the period of forbearance, no late fees or interest will occur, other than the
interest that would have occurred if payments had been made.
 Forbearance of Residential Mortgage Loan Payments for Multifamily Properties with
Federally Backed Loans.
o Provides up to 90 days of forbearance for multifamily borrowers with a federally backed
multifamily mortgage loan who have experienced a financial hardship. Borrowers
receiving forbearance may not evict or charge late fees to tenants for the duration of
the forbearance period.
o Renters may not be evicted if the land lord is in forbearance.
 Temporary Moratorium on Eviction Filings.
o For 120 days beginning on the date of enactment, landlords are prohibited from
initiating legal action to recover possession of a rental unit or to charge fees, penalties,
or other charges to the tenant related to such nonpayment of rent where the landlord’s
mortgage on that property is insured, guaranteed, supplemented, protected, or assisted
in any way by HUD, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the rural housing voucher program, or
the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.
o The landlord can still charge rent
o Tenant is not required to have a lease for this section to apply