Nota Bene Episode 82: How Congress is Meeting the Pandemic: Stimulus, Relief, and Recovery with Elizabeth Frazee and Jonathan Meyer
Employment Law Now IV-67- Today's U.S. DOL Phone Briefing re: Federal Coronavirus Initiatives
On March 10, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the appointment of Associate Deputy Attorney General Kevin Chambers to serve as the Director for DOJ’s COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force. In remarks...more
The federal government is substantially ramping up its enforcement of COVID-19-related fraud. In a press release issued yesterday, the United States Secret Service announced the naming of a “National Pandemic Fraud Recovery...more
The U.S. Department of Justice continues to seek long prison sentences for those convicted of COVID-19 related fraud. Recently, courts have agreed with prosecutors, and have issued increasingly lengthy prison terms to those...more
Federal prosecutions continue to increase across the country against businesses and individuals accused of fraudulent conduct under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. In March, the Department of...more
This guidebook is designed to serve as an interactive reference for individuals in Washington state looking for information and resources available to help with the financial impacts of COVID-19. It is not legal advice and...more
Intensifying its crackdown on suspected fraud in pandemic relief programs, the U.S. Department of Justice has established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, sending a clear message that any individual or business that...more
On May 17, 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a new, inter-agency task force led by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco to address fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic (COVID-19 Task Force). According to DOJ’s...more
The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (“DUA”) has announced a significant raise in the solvency rate, which distributes the costs of benefits across employers, from 0.58% in 2020 to 9.23% in 2021. This...more
The Justice Department continues to intensify its crackdown on COVID-19 relief program fraud, a clear indication that any individual or business that has benefited from the government aid should expect enhanced scrutiny from...more
On March 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) reported on the agency’s heightened criminal and civil enforcement activities in connection with COVID-19-related fraud.[1] As of that date, DOJ had publicly charged...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On April 1, 2021, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a new law that, among other issues, addresses the solvency of the Commonwealth’s unemployment compensation fund by imposing an excise on wages...more
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA, 2021) was signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021 to address the continuing economic impact on employers and employees the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has posed. The ARPA...more
On March 10, 2021, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“Rescue Plan”), a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package intended to provide continued economic relief to individuals, businesses, and state and local...more
On March 6, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed its version of President Biden’s “American Rescue Plan” by a vote of 50-49 (Vice President Kamala Harris was prepared to cast a tie-breaking vote in favor of the bill). All Senate...more
The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program was a key component of last year’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and was subsequently extended through March 14 of this year. Under the program,...more
While Washington is rushing to enact COVID-19 funding before the mid-March expiration of enhanced federal unemployment benefits, lawmakers face a host of upcoming policy deadlines that will require congressional action....more
On January 14, 2021, New York State Department of Labor (“DOL”) Commissioner Roberta Reardon signed an Order that temporarily cancels unemployment insurance (“UI”) charges to employers for the duration of the COVID-19...more
On Jan. 14, 2021, New York State Department of Labor (DOL) Commissioner Roberta Reardon signed an Order to temporarily modify the unemployment benefit charging system and ease the burden for unemployment insurance charges...more
Legislators briefed on state pension challenges The House Government Operations Committee met on Thursday to discuss Vermont's overwhelming pension-underfunding problem. Joint Fiscal Office staff member Chris Rupe presented...more
A technical amendment to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Act) again makes workshare a viable cost-cutting option for employers, while providing...more
Who Needs to Know - All employers attempting to recall or hire employees currently receiving unemployment insurance benefits who may be eligible for extended benefits, and employers who may conduct future furloughs, layoffs,...more
The long-awaited stimulus relief bill has officially been enacted. On Dec. 21, 2020, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Bill), several months after aid had lapsed for many individuals and businesses...more
The latest round of COVID-19 relief in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 will revive many aspects of unemployment relief rolled out in the CARES Act in March, although the Act reduces many of the original features. ...more
On December 21, 2020, Congress passed an approximately $900 billion coronavirus relief bill, which, if signed into law, would extend certain unemployment insurance (UI) provisions found in the CARES Act that was passed in...more
Facing a government shutdown and the expiration of many of the relief programs included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) enacted in March 2020, on December 21, 2020, Congress passed...more