This week, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) co-hosted Nevada’s Virtual Job Fair to help get local workers back to work. The senator hosted the event with Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV), Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill, Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones, and leaders from local employment training and workforce connection departments and organizations.

Furloughed and unemployed Nevadans had the opportunity to meet and interview directly with more than 50 employers.

The recently passed American Rescue Plan Act includes numerous provisions Senator Cortez Masto advocated for to help employers looking to hire new workers. These include an extension and expansion of the Employee Retention Tax Credit, an extension and expansion of additional tax credits to provide emergency paid sick and family leave to employees impacted by COVID-19, and $10 billion to reauthorize the State Small Business Credit Initiative for flexible and affordable capital to small businesses.

PPP Bill Heads to President’s Desk
Yesterday the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 1799 by an overwhelming majority, which will extend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) through the end of June. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden — and given the strong bipartisan vote count and popularity of the program, all indications point to this legislation becoming law.

H.R. 1799 was authored by Rep. Young Kim (R-CA). Credit unions greatly appreciate her efforts to pass this legislation in her first three months of office. Additionally, credit union leaders have urged lawmakers to extend the PPP deadline, citing concerns about ongoing changes to the program and delays in processing applications for loan forgiveness. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) currently has until March 31 to approve funding for PPP loans and grants.

H.R. 1799 would extend the program’s funding authorization through June 30 and require the SBA to spend those final 30 days closing out applications that were submitted before June 1. Although the bill does not come with additional funding, a sizable amount was already added under the American Rescue Plan Act that became law earlier this month.

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