Paycheck Recovery Act of 2020
This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to establish a paycheck recovery program to provide grants for certain small businesses and employers that have lost revenue because of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) to pay wages and fixed expenses such as rent, utilities, and safety equipment.
Treasury shall award such grants to employers that have experienced revenue losses above a 10% gross receipts threshold or to small businesses that employ 20 or fewer individuals and have annual gross receipts of less than $3 million. Recipients shall receive an initial, 90-day grant that covers the percentage of revenue loss multiplied by wages provided to an employee (up to a salary cap of $90,000), plus an additional 25% of total wages to cover business operating costs. Subsequent grants shall be disbursed on a monthly basis until the nationwide unemployment rate remains below 7% for three consecutive months, at which point Treasury shall terminate the program.
An employer receiving a grant must meet certain conditions related to share repurchases, payments to shareholders or bondholders, and executive compensation and bonuses, as well as conditions relating to labor protections such as keeping employees on payroll and benefits.
The bill also establishes a Congressional Paycheck Recovery Program Implementation Oversight Board to ensure employers that receive grants use the funds appropriately and comply with all conditions.