COVID-19 News Updates Below are important news updates on response efforts since the coronavirus pandemic began. 6/4/2020 - Senate leadership says next stimilus bill will be the last. 5/20/2020 - Pelosi: Proxy voting for House floor next week. 5/18/2020 - Senators put support behind bill delivering more aid to state and local governments 5/11/2020 - House wont vote on new stimulus package before Friday . 5/8/2020 - Pelosi reveals multitrillion-dollar aid package proposal ; negotiations with lawmakers yet to come. See summary here 5/7/2020 - Treasury may offer more time for renewable energy industry to qualify for tax credits. 5/5/2020 - DOL: Dislocated Worker Grants can fund coronavirus contact tracing efforts. 5/5/2020 - Senate split on money for state and local governments. 5/4/2020 - Today, the Senate returns to Washington DC. 4/30/2020 - Pelosi plans for House members to return the week after next. 4/30/2020 - Federal Reserve Board accounces expansion of Main Street Lending program. 4/30/2020 - Chair of Ways and Means committee says aid plan coming for state and local governments. 4/28/2020 - House pulls back, will not return on May 4th. 4/27/2020 - Fed expands scope of Municipal Liquidity Facility. 4/23/2020 - House passes $484 billion emergency aid bill. 4/22/2020 - Treasury releases guidance for COVID-19 relief fund. 4/22/2020 - Senate approves $500 billion in additional relief aid for small businesses, hospitals. 4/20/2020 - Lawmakers propose additional $500 billion for state & local governments. 4/16/2020 - Federal Reserve announces opening of Paycheck Protection Program. 4/13/2020 - House not expected to return before My 4th. 4/9/2020 - Dems block aid funding in hopes of providing more for hospitals and local governments. 4/9/2020 - Fed moves to make $2.3 trillion available in loans to support economy. 4/8/2020 - Dem leaders push for additional $500 billion in stopgap aid funding. 4/7/2020 - Education secretary authorizes funding flexibilities to support continued learning. 4/7/2020 - Work on 4th aid package continues ; Pelosi hopes to have bill near end of month. 4/2/2020 - FTA announces aid funding availability , and outlines allocation. 3/30/2020 - Pelosi: Fourth stimulus bill in early stages . Will focus on recovery, infrastructure. 3/29/2020 - President Trump extends social distancing guidelines through April. 3/27/2020 - House passes historic stimulus package. CARES ACT SUMMARY 3/26/2020 - Senate package passes vote unanimously. 3/25/2020 - Deal struck for COVID-19 aid package. 3/24/2020 - Fed moves to boost market liquidity , pledges unlmited purchases of U.S. governmental bonds. 3/23/2020 - Fed moves to boost economy with emergency efforts. 3/23/2020 - House Dems to introduce aid package bill on Monday. 3/20/2020 - Tax day moved to July 15. 3/20/2020 - New travel restrictions for southern border expected. 3/19/2020 - Lawmakers, Treasury continue to work on relief packages. 3/18/2020 - US & Canada working on non-essential travel restrictions. 3/17/2020 - Congress working furiously to pass enormous aid package. 3/16/2020 - Senate waits on final draft of coronavirus bill from the House. 3/14/2020 - House passes coronavirus bill after the President's approval. 3/13/2020 - President Trump declares COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency. 3/6/2020 - President Trump signed the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 6074), a $8.3 billion supplemental spending package . The bill designates $1.05 billion for grants to state and local governments and allows funds to be used to reimburse state and local costs already incurred. 3/5/2020 - CMS announced the development of a new code that can be used by health care providers and laboratories to bill for certain COVID-19 diagnostic tests to help increase testing and track new cases. 3/4/2020 - CDC announces initial funding to jurisdictions to supporting COVID-19 response. 3/4/2020 - House of Representatives approves a $8.3 billion emergency supplemental package for the coronavirus , sending it to the Senate for consideration. 3/4/2020 - CDC updated its guidance for evaluation of Persons Under Investigation to include a wider group of individuals in an effort to make testing more widely available. 3/4/2020 - CMS announces actions to address the coronavirus, including an enhanced focus on infection control procedures and guidance for nursing homes. 3/2/2020 - CDC and FDA announced they are taking emergency action to allow more types of respirators to be used in health care settings amid several outbreaks of coronavirus in multiple states. 2/29/2020 – President Donald Trump issued a proclamation suspending entry of foreign nationals who have been in Iran within the past 14 days. 2/29/2020 - FDA issued a new policy for certain laboratories seeking to develop diagnostic tests for coronavirus in order to achieve more rapid testing capacity in the U.S. 2/28/2020 - CDC updated its guidance on testing and evaluation of suspected cases, expanding the criteria for who should be tested.