COVID-19 Response Bill

 Today, I voted for the COVID-19 Response Bill. I believe this bipartisan legislation will help get Wisconsinites through this difficult time and help struggling small businesses recover. The Assembly approved the bill during today's extraordinary session.

The COVID-19 Response Bill eliminates the one-week waiting period for unemployment insurance benefits. The change would be applied retroactively to claims made after March 12 and run through February 7, 2021.

The bill allows the state to capture more Medicaid dollars from the federal government, which will be helpful as more individuals may need to access the coverage due to a loss of work during the pandemic.

It ensures Wisconsin will receive the entire $2 billion in federal assistance.

The legislation also provides for the following:

• Eases licensing requirements for health care professionals and emergency medical responders
• Allows pharmacists to extend prescriptions
• Expands SeniorCare to include coverage of vaccinations
• Ensures no co-pays for COVID-19 testing
• Prohibits health insurance coverage discrimination based on COVID-19
• Provides the needed flexibilities to school districts to complete the school year online
• Sets aside $75 million to address future, unexpected needs that federal dollars don’t cover
• Requires the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to develop a plan to assist the state’s main industries (tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, construction and retail)

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration on Wednesday.