CARES Act Bill for Pastors and Churches

Senate Version Awaiting House Changes & Vote

March 26, 2020

California State Senator Shannon Grove shared some promising news with Church United Spanish-speaking pastors during our video conferencing call on Wednesday, March 25 at 5:00 p.m.

She shared that U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (FL) and Tim Scott (SC) added a bill to the Coronavirus rescue plan titled the "CARES Act" that qualifies churches and 501c3 organizations as being eligible to receive substantial financial help from the government. Remember, a bill is not a law until signed by the President of the United States.

The benefit process requires a church or 501c3 organization to apply for a government loan that will become a grant after 60 days. Why a loan? It’s an accountability step to ensure those who are requesting loans are truly churches or other non-profits. 

There is much still being debated as the bill moves through the Senate and House. The complete and final bill is expected to pass both Houses and be signed by the President on Friday or Saturday. Please pray that non-essential items like abortion funding, solar energy and other non-crisis emergency items do not get added to this rescue bill.

Once the bill passes and the full details of the bill become known, our attorneys at Advocates for Faith & Freedom and Tyler & Bursch will thoroughly review the details and provide information relevant to pastors and churches. They will then advise us as how to move forward in the process of applying for and/or receiving financial assistance.  

Please join Church United April 1–3 for fasting and praying for California!