On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act which provides a variety of forms of emergency relief. The Center for Public Justice and the Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance (a division of CPJ) have been monitoring the ways that the necessary relief will support essential components of civil society, notably faith-based organizations and their employees. This document highlights select elements of the CARES Act as well as the previously enacted Families First Coronavirus Response Act, noting their potential significance for faith-based organizations, their employees, and those they serve.
Many faith-based organizations have questions about how new federal emergency legislation enacted to manage the COVID-19 crisis and related economic fallout will impact their employees, their donations, and their capacity to continue to operate. CPJ's team describes three aspects of new laws, noting what’s known about these laws’ practical implications for faith-based organizations and houses of worship as well as their prospective impact on religious freedom. Topics include:
Emergency paid sick and family leave for employees
Emergency programs and their impact on employment decisions
Access to loans through the Small Business Administration
Enhanced Unemployment Insurance during the COVID-19 crisis
A new charitable deduction to encourage giving during the crisis