April 10, 2020
Congress considering 4th coronavirus relief package
After passing the CARES Act, the $2 trillion dollar stimulus package to support Americans impacted by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Congress is looking at an additional bill to further expand financial support for small businesses offered in the act.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said she wants to bring a bill to the floor for a vote by the end of April. After originally focusing on infrastructure, she instead now wants to provide more support to small businesses and expand unemployment benefits.
She said, “It is imperative that we go bigger and further assisting small business, to go longer in unemployment benefits and provide additional resources to process [unemployment insurance] claims and to give families additional direct payments.”
In the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is also looking at additional measures to support the economy, but negotiations have held up proposals. McConnell tried to pass an additional $250 billion bill in support of the Paycheck Protection Program created by the CARES Act. However, Senate Democrats want that money to go toward hospital support and state relief efforts.
This is a developing story. We will provide updates as they occur.
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Virginia passes law to allow sunscreen use in public schools
This week, Virginia became the 25th state to allow students to possess and use sunscreen in public schools. Prior to the passage of SB 44, sunscreen could not be carried or used in schools in case there were harmful ingredients or substances in the products. Students were required to have a doctor’s note in order to use sunscreen.
There has been a push across the country to change these regulations and ensure kids in schools have adequate protection to keep them safe from sun exposure. The “SUNucate Initiative” led by the American Society for Dermatological Surgery Association (ASDSA) offers model language for state legislatures to serve as a foundation for their respective bills.
“I congratulate Virginia for adopting this important, common-sense legislation that will help protect students from overexposure to the sun, which is essential to preventing skin cancer later in life,” said ASDSA President Marc D. Brown, M.D.
The Prevent Cancer Foundation® also applauds Virginia for protecting children from the sun to Stop Cancer Before It Starts!®
Supreme Court to extend briefing schedule for ACA case
The Supreme Court this week announced it would extend its briefing schedule in California vs. Texas, the case challenging the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Court will review the decision from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which said the ACA’s individual mandate (the requirement to purchase health insurance) was unconstitutional without a tax penalty that was zeroed out by Congress in 2017.
The 20 Democratic Attorneys General (AGs) who requested the appeal of the 5th Circuit decision also asked for the extra time to file briefs. Without objections from the plaintiffs (Republican AGs, led by Texas), the motion was approved, and a new deadline was set for May 6. Though it is unclear when oral arguments will begin as timelines have shifted with the coronavirus pandemic and the granted extension, the Democratic AGs anticipate they will begin sometime in October.
President Trump last week announced the administration would not open a special enrollment period to purchase insurance through the ACA exchanges, increasing the significance of this case. In a letter to President Trump, California AG Xavier Becerra, North Carolina AG Josh Stein and 20 of their colleagues called for quick action. “A national solution to the problem demands decisive and reasoned federal action,” they said.
This is a developing case, and we will provide updates as they occur.
