APPLY TO VOTE BY MAIL!

Just 4 days left to apply to vote by mail in our June 2 primary. Apply here: https://www.votespa.com/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Mail-and-Absentee-Ballot.aspx

And get it back to your county elections office before 8pm on June 2!

#YourVoiceYourVote

Main Street Business Revitalization Grant Program

Today, my colleagues and I called for $550 million of funds allocated to Pennsylvania through the federal CARES act to be used for a program we are calling the Main Street Business Revitalization Initiative, which will issue grants. 

This pandemic has exposed the fragile ecosystem and slim margins that small businesses and their workers function within every single day. As Pennsylvania begins to recover both economically and physically from the COVID-19 pandemic, we must make sure that our business owners have the resources they need. We must seek a just recovery from this pandemic.

We are calling for $425 million to go to traditional main street businesses, and a separate $125 million to be allocated to historically disadvantaged businesses.

Pennsylvania has received $4 billion from the federal government that must be spent or allocated by December 31, 2020. The Senate Democrats have proposed a robust plan for those funds called PA CARES (more info at pasenate.com/pacares).

This initiative will be run by Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) who are committed to providing flexible loans, debt relief and business technical assistance to support the recovery and sustainability of Pennsylvania businesses. CDFIs are known to be “first responders” during periods of economic turmoil because of their keen knowledge of and connection to the communities they serve. More importantly, they have a demonstrated capacity to focus on the critical needs of small businesses.

The Main Street Business Revitalization Initiative is a retroactive way to address the serious challenges of the main street small business community caused by the COVID-19 and the devastating but necessary closures ordered in Pennsylvania to protect public health.

Eligible businesses will include barbers, salons, restaurants, bars, and taverns, retailers, coffee shops, neighborhood hardware stores, garden shops, realtors, childcare facilities and the numerous other small businesses who have suffered economically during this challenging time.

Previous business assistance programs have inadvertently disadvantaged many main street businesses who were unprepared to tap into the network of assistance. Through the assistance of CDFIs, main street businesses will have access to job protection and initiatives through financial institutions they are comfortable with.

Beware of Unemployment Compensation SCAMS

Secretary Jerry Oleksiak announced today the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) is working closely with state and federal partners to monitor COVID-19 scams across the U.S. that are targeting unemployment benefits programs and their claimants.

The scammers behind the COVID-19-related fraud appear to be using Social Security numbers and other personally identifiable information belonging to identity theft victims to commit unemployment compensation (UC) fraud. In many situations, the victims are unaware that their identity has been stolen.

Following are some warning signs of a possible COVID-19 scam:

• For workers – receiving any type of correspondence that you filed an unemployment claim when you did not file a claim for benefits.
• For employers – if you notice a claim has been filed for one or more of your employees who are still working.

In general, take these steps to protect yourself against unemployment scams:

• Never give out your personal information over email or text message.
• Don’t wire money, and always ignore the following requests:
• Communications related to your UC benefits from someone asking for money;
• Someone who says they can help you file for your benefits for a fee; and
• Anyone claiming to work for L&I who says they need a fee to complete your application.
• Don’t open or respond to unsolicited emails or text messages.
• Never give out your personal information on websites or social media channels – especially those that claim they can help you apply for UC benefits. Third parties can’t apply for your benefits.
• Don’t trust or rely on UC info from unofficial websites – always visit www.uc.pa.gov for Pennsylvania unemployment program information.
• L&I may need to call you. If you file a claim, save the following unemployment phone numbers to your phone so you know you’re receiving a legitimate call from L&I:
• 888-313-7284 – regular UC
• 855-284-8545 – Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) phone number

We will ask you for some personal identification information including the last four digits of your Social Security number, but we will not ask for your full SSN.

Report Fraud

Report fraudulent activity regarding Pennsylvania’s UC benefits:

Online

• Identity theft – if you suspect or know that someone is using your personal information such as your name, Social Security number, or date of birth without your knowledge or consent to file for UC benefits, complete and submit the Identity Theft Form.  
• Unemployment claims fraud – if you know of individuals who are collecting UC benefits illegally, including people who are working and not reporting their wages for PA UC benefit purposes; or people who cannot work due to an illness, disability or incarceration, complete and submit the Unemployment Claims Fraud Form.

Phone

• PA Fraud Hotline – 1-800-692-7469

Police

• File a police report with the municipality you resided in at the time the unemployment benefits in question were paid. A copy of the police report must be provided to the Office of Unemployment Compensation.

Summer Camps & Recreation updates

With an understanding of the need for Pennsylvania families to secure child care options this summer, the Wolf Administration today issued frequently asked questions to provide guidance to parents, summer camp operators, public bathing places, part-day school-age programs, and other entities that provide necessary child care and enrichment and recreational activities for children and youth during the summer months.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health issued the FAQs that include guidance on:

• The types of summer programs for children and youth permitted to operate during Gov. Wolf’s phased-in reopening plan.
• Additional requirements for summer programs operating in counties in yellow and green phases beyond what is required by the CDC guidance for youth programs and camps.
• The summer programs operating in counties in yellow and green phases that are permitted to operate fully indoor, fully outdoor, or a combination of indoor and outdoor.
• Group sizes for summer programs that are permitted to operate in counties in the yellow phase.
• Requirements on staff and youth face-coverings in child care and summer programs permitted to operate in yellow phase counties.
• Enrollment restrictions on summer programs in counties in yellow or green phase.
• Status of public playgrounds during the phased reopening.
• Status of organized team sports during the phased reopening.
• Operation of public bathing places and community pools during the phased reopening.
• Operation of camping, campgrounds and group camping separate from organized summer camps for youth.
• Status of Department of Conservation and Natural Resources facilities during the various phases of reopening.

The FAQs are available here.

The guidance does not apply to public school-operated summer programs or extended school year services. Guidance related to reopening public schools will be released by the Pennsylvania Department of Education later.

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