A handwritten hiring sign is displayed outside a local drugstore in Solana Beach, California, United States, July 17, 2017. REUTERS / Mike Blake

December 20 (Reuters) – U.S. Congressional leaders said on Sunday they had reached agreement on a $ 900 billion plan to provide the first new aid in months to an economy hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic, with votes probably Monday. Read more

Here’s what’s in the package, according to a summary released by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, and interviews with several congressional aides who provided additional details:

Checks in the mail: The bill includes $ 166 billion in new direct payments of up to $ 600 per adult and child, for people earning up to $ 75,000 per year and $ 1,200 for couples earning up to to $ 150,000 per year. The bill extends direct payments to mixed-status households.

More Unemployment Benefits: An additional $ 300 per week for some unemployment beneficiaries, with expanded coverage for the self-employed, “gigs” and others in non-traditional situations.

A grant from the US Postal Service: Congress agrees to convert a $ 10 billion loan approved in March into direct funding for the USPS without requiring repayment.

Payroll Loans: $ 284 billion for government payroll loans, including expanded eligibility for nonprofits and newspaper, TV and radio broadcasters, $ 15 billion for theaters entertainment, independent cinemas and cultural institutions and $ 20 billion for targeted disaster subsidies

Back-to-school funding: $ 82 billion for colleges and schools, including upgrading heating and air conditioning systems to mitigate virus transmission and reopen classrooms, and $ 10 billion dollars for child care assistance. Includes $ 54.3 billion for K-12 schools and $ 22.7 billion for higher education

Child Care: $ 10 billion to provide child care assistance to families and to help child care providers meet the costs of pandemic safety.

Depreciation of business meals. New tax relief for business meal expenses, dubbed the “three martinis” deduction.

End Surprise Medical Billing: Insured patients only need to pay network charges when an emergency or other issue requires them to call a medical provider who is not covered by their network.

Assistance to the transportation industry: $ 45 billion for transportation assistance, including $ 15 billion for US airlines for wage assistance, $ 14 billion for public transit systems, $ 10 billion for $ 1 for state highway funding, $ 2 billion for airports, $ 1 billion for airlines, and $ 1 billion for Amtrak passenger rail.

Rent and eviction assistance: $ 25 billion for assistance with rent and utilities for people who find it difficult to stay at home, and an extension of the moratorium on evictions until January 31. States will receive aid of at least $ 200 million.

Aid for vaccine distribution: $ 30 billion to support the purchase and distribution of the vaccine, “ensuring that it is free and quickly distributed to everyone,” as Schumer said.

More to fight hunger: $ 13 billion for food aid, including additional funding for food banks and nutrition programs for seniors, student access to the supplementary nutrition assistance program of the federal government.

Agricultural aid: an additional $ 13 billion for direct payments, purchases and loans to farmers and ranchers.

Farmers of row crops like corn, soybeans and wheat would receive about $ 5 billion in additional payments of $ 20 per acre, according to a statement by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, a senior member of the Senate Committee on agriculture.

Record-breaking government farm subsidies of around $ 50 billion in 2020 were already expected to account for more than a third of U.S. farmer incomes this year.

Up to $ 3 billion in direct payments to livestock, dairy and contact farmers forced to euthanize livestock or poultry when the COVID-19 crisis shut down slaughterhouses, according to Stabenow.

Expanded Pell Grants: New grants for tuition fees, which would reach 500,000 new beneficiaries.

Internet access: $ 7 billion to give more Americans broadband Internet access, including $ 1.9 billion to replace telecommunications network equipment that poses national security risks and $ 3.2 billion to dollars for a new temporary benefit program to help low-income Americans access broadband

Global alliances against viruses: $ 4 billion for an international alliance for vaccines

Tax Credits: Improved tax credits to encourage home construction for low-income people, businesses to keep their employees on the payroll, employers to provide paid sick leave, and for low-income workers returned.

Minority-Owned Businesses: $ 12 billion for minority-owned businesses and very small businesses that have struggled to access previous payroll protection program funding.

What is not in the bill: Liability protection for companies whose employees contract the coronavirus, which Republicans have supported for months, was not included in final negotiations or the bill; Democrats have set aside significant funds for state and local governments in return.

A last-minute attempt by the Republican Party to limit the Federal Reserve’s emergency lending power to small businesses and local governments was also overlooked.

Reporting by David Shepardson and Andy Sullivan; edited by Richard Pullin

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