Yesterday, the House Democratic leadership introduced the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act. The $3.5 trillion and 1800 page bill would be the next phase in a series intended to provide relief from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

The HEROES Act contains significant support for individual students, public institutions of higher education, as well as state and local governments. However, more work remains to increase the research recovery provisions in the legislation. The full House is expected to vote on the bill as early as Friday. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has labeled the bill "dead on arrival," noting its size and that it may be premature to put forward another massive recovery bill prior to having a solid understanding of needs that remain following the CARES Act. However, passage of a House bill would put considerable pressure on the Senate to act, given the ongoing COVID-19 related financial distress throughout the economy. 

Select items of interest to the higher education community include:

• $26.7 billion for public institutions of higher education, potentially resulting in $62 million to FSU to cover costs related to the COVID-19 crisis;
• $1 trillion in economic assistance to state and local governments;
• extension of a paid leave tax credit to include state entities, allowing for an offset of COVID-19 leave requirements contained in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act;
• $4.745 billion to expand COVID-19-related research on the NIH campus and at academic institutions across the country and to support the shutdown and startup costs of biomedical research laboratories nationwide;
• $75 billion for testing, contact tracing, and other activities necessary to effectively monitor and suppress COVID-19; and
• $10,000 in private student loan deb relief.

Press Release

Title by Title Summary

Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities Statement on the HEROES Act