Federal Advocacy by ALA – HEROES II Proposal

September 30, 2020

There’s nothing like waiting until the last minute…Congress is expected to take action to avoid a government shutdown tonight at midnight on September 30, 2020. The Senate is scheduled to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR), which will keep the government funded at the current FY20 levels until December 11. The House cleared the bill last week, and the President is expected to sign it later today. This will put the FY21 appropriations discussion after the election in November when Congress returns for a lame-duck session. 

The outreach to the House over the past few weeks by ALA Advocates has paid off. Earlier this week, the House Democrats introduced a revised version of the HEROES Act, the latest COVID relief package. Although negotiations with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin continue, Speaker Pelosi indicated she would put the bill on the floor later this week for a vote. Of particular note, funding for IMLS is at $135 million. In the last proposal, it was $5 million. Thanks to efforts by library advocates, the House increased IMLS funding despite reducing the overall topline funding levels. Please keep the pressure on your Member of Congress to make sure libraries are included in any COVID relief package. Details about the latest HEROES Act is below.

HEROES II proposal includes:

IMLS: $135 million to support libraries and museums with costs and expenses associated with coronavirus, including operational supports and providing technology and resources for their communities. 

Broadband: 

• $12 billion for Wi-Fi Hotspots & devices for students and libraries
• $3 billion for Emergency Home Connectivity

Education: $225 billion

Funding breakdown:

• K-12: $175 billion  
• Higher Ed: $38.9 billion 
• $5 billion for Emergency School Facilities Repairs  
• $4 billion for Governor's fund to restore state and local funding 
• $2 billion for Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools and Tribal Colleges and Universities
• $32 million for National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and math assessments

Library of Congress: $12 million for unanticipated IT costs & telework expenses

NEA: $135 million for grants to respond to the impacts of COVID

NEH: $135 million for grants to respond to the impacts of COVID

National Archives: $92 million for losses and telework

Census: $400 million for expenses related to delays in counting

Worker Training: $1.2 billion supporting state grants for dislocated worker employment and training activities, including summer employment for youth and distance learning services through one-stop programs.