COVID Relief and Consolidated Appropriations Act in Effect

Late on December 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, (the “Act”) into law. The 5,593 page Act addresses a host of issues in one legislative package, including federal government appropriations for FY2021, and relief related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Act attempts to respond to COVID-19-related challenges by offering various forms of assistance to individuals, families, and businesses. CAPLAW continues to analyze the Act and has addressed in this article key pieces of the legislation that are relevant to CAAs and members of the communities they serve.

EEOC Issues Vaccination Guidance for Employers

The federal agency responsible for enforcing workplace anti-discrimination laws, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), has added a section on vaccinations to its guidance addressing compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The section answers questions employers may have as they consider rolling out vaccine-related policies for their workplaces. This Legal Update provides a summary of some of the major points in the guidance, but we encourage CAAs to review it themselves. Please also see this FAQ produced by Troutman Pepper for more information on these and other legal considerations related to vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic. For additional inquiries or specific questions, please contact CAPLAW directly.

ACF Issues Rule on Head Start DRS During Emergencies

On December 7, 2020, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) issued an interim final rule to increase Flexibility for Head Start Designation Renewals in Certain Emergencies (the “Rule”). This Rule provides ACF with flexibility to make designation renewal determinations for Head Start programs during federally declared emergency situations, when access to data required for the determinations might be limited or unobtainable. Though the current interim final rule was written in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it will apply to future federally declared emergencies as well.

This Legal Update is part of the CARES Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Legal Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) Center. It was created by Community Action Program Legal Services, Inc. (CAPLAW) in the performance of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services Cooperative Agreement – Grant Award Number 90ET0467-03. Any opinion, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

The contents of this publication are intended to convey general information only and do not constitute legal advice. Any communication through this publication or through CAPLAW’s website does not constitute or create an attorney-client relationship. If you need legal advice, please contact CAPLAW or another attorney directly.