Rep. Gundrum Votes to Pass Wisconsin COVID-19 Response Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                           

April 14, 2020

Contact: Rep. Rick Gundrum                                                          

(608) 264-8486

Madison, WI – State Representative Rick Gundrum (R – Slinger) voted in favor of the COVID-19 Response Bill during an extraordinary session held earlier this afternoon. This bill provides the state of Wisconsin needed economic relief and expanded flexibility to address and to respond to the dire health and economic needs from the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic.

“Healthcare workers and first responders are stretched to the max. Small businesses and local restaurants have had to close their doors and face serious financial uncertainty,” said Rep. Gundrum. “Moms and dads working from home are pulling double duty teaching various school subjects on the spot. Parents who cannot work from home are looking for daycare assistance. This bill expedites the help I can offer to my constituents.”

Assembly Bill 1038 (AB 1038) eliminates the one-week waiting period for unemployment insurance benefits, and would be applied retroactively to claims made after March 12 and run through February 7, 2021.

It also allows the state to acquire additional one-time Medicaid dollars (with no liability to the state with taking Medicaid Expansion) from the federal government, requires SeniorCare to cover vaccinations, eliminates the need of co-pays for COVID-19 testing, prohibits health insurers from discrimination of patients diagnosed with COVID-19, adds flexibility to school districts to adjust with the shortened school year, requires the WEDC to create a plan to assist the state’s industries that have been hit hard, and sets aside $75 million to cover potential unexpected needs in the future while ensuring that Wisconsin receives the entire $2 billion stimulus allocated to our state from the CARES Act signed by President Trump.    

The COVID-19 Response Bill passed the State Assembly on a bipartisan vote and is now messaged to the State Senate which will convene tomorrow.