In its only session this week, the Kentucky General Assembly unanimously passed its own coronavirus relief bill and sent it on to Governor Beshear for his signature.
Senate Bill 150 takes a number of Beshear’s executive orders and gives them extra weight, making some of them permanent. It also gives both elected officials and health care providers more flexibility to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
Some of the provisions of the bill include:
- Gives state official more authority to expand unemployment coverage, including to persons not currently eligible.
- Waives the seven-day waiting period for applying for unemployment benefits.
- Gives health care providers greater flexibility in the use of telehealth.
- Also gives health care providers more legal immunity when using good-faith efforts to provide care, and provides the same to businesses that retrofit their production lines to produce needed medical equipment.
- Gives various legislative bodies more flexibility to meet virtually.
- Moves the state tax filing deadline for this year to July 15, the same as the federal deadline.
- Allows restaurants to sell certain grocery items as long as the items are packaged and delivered properly.
Some lawmakers indicated that other measures may be written and passed to aid in the coronavirus response before the legislature adjourns in April.
|
Our Response to the Coronavirus Crisis |
House Democrats release statement
In a press release, the leadership of the Democrats in the House released a statement praising both the bill and the process by which it was written and passed.
Representatives Joni Jenkins, Derrick Graham, and Angie Hatton said the following:
This bill will go a long way toward giving more Kentuckians the help they need to get through this pandemic, and it also is a perfect example of what happens when both parties and both chambers work together on solutions. Difficult choices lie ahead, but if we can continue down this bipartisan path, we are confident we will come through this crisis better than most if not all states.
Rep. Rachel Roberts, who won a special election in the 67th House District just days before Governor Beshear issued the state of emergency on March 6th, served as the House Democratic Caucus’ representative on the House and Senate conference committee that wrote the final bill. After the unanimous vote in the House, she said “I know I’m new here, but I feel this is what we were brought here to do, and I’m really grateful we got this work done.”
–30–