Resources for Pennsylvania Employees and Employers Affected by COVID-19

Pennsylvania state officials have made several resources available to residents and businesses as they work to combat the spread of COVID-19:

• On March 19, Governor Tom Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses in the state to close their physical locations. The businesses can work remotely as long as social distancing and other COVID-19 mitigation guidance is followed. Businesses that are considered life-sustaining are listed at: https://www.scribd.com/document/452553026/UPDATED-5-45pm-March-21-2020-Industry-Operation-Guidance. If you are unsure whether your business can be classified as life sustaining, you can contact the Department of Community and Economic Development at: ra_dcedcs@pa.gov. Enforcement action against non-compliant business will begin Monday, March 23, 8:00 AM.
  
  Businesses may apply for a waiver to keep their physical locations open by completing the application. Until the waiver is approved and provided, businesses must comply with Governor Wolf’s order by suspending in-person, physical operations.
• The Commonwealth Financing Authority has provided funding so that the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority can provide zero-interest, working capital loans of up to $100,000 to small businesses with 100 or fewer full-time employees. More information about funding availability will be released in the coming days. For details, contact credc@hbgrc.org.
• Businesses affected by COVID-19 in Pennsylvania are eligible to apply for loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration. These loans are intended to support working capital needs. For more information, visit or sba.gov/disaster.
• The deadline for filing Pennsylvania personal income tax returns has been extended from April 15, 2020 to July 15, 2020. This change aligns with the change to the federal income tax deadline.
• Effective March 16, all Driver’s License and Photo ID Centers will be closed for at least two weeks. Online services, including driver’s license, photo ID, and vehicle registration renewals, remain available online. Expiration dates for driver’s licenses, identification cards, vehicle registrations, and safety and emission inspections scheduled between March 16 and 31, 2020, have been extended to April 30, 2020.
• On March 20, temporary regulation changes were made to ensure medical marijuana patients in Pennsylvania have access to medication. Changes include:
• Dispensary employees can now provide medical marijuana to a cardholder in their vehicle.
• In-person consultations between approved practitioners and medical marijuana cardholders have been waived in favor of remote consultations for renewal certifications.
• Ninety-day supplies will be permitted for select patients.
• For a full list of temporary regulation changes, click here.
• Employees who have been laid off and have not been paid fully for their work prior to being released, or who are otherwise owed compensation, should contact the Pennsylvania Bureau of Labor Law Compliance. More information can be found at: https://www.dli.pa.gov/Individuals/Labor-Management-Relations/llc/Pages/Labor-Law-Compliance.aspx.
• The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry is asking anyone who may have filed a bankruptcy notice to send information about your bankruptcy to: RA-OUCB-BPC@pa.gov. Copies of bankruptcy paperwork, if available, or the claimant’s name, bankruptcy number, and last four digits of their Social Security Number should be included in the email. Following this process may help expedite the review process, which otherwise could be delayed due to commonwealth employees working from home.
• Central Pennsylvania residents and businesses are encouraged to check the Harrisburg Regional Chamber’s website — www.harrisburgregionalchamber.org — often for community support programs. Current support programs can be found at: https://www.harrisburgregionalchamber.org/harrisburg-regional-chamber-members-offer-support-to-community/.
• Additional resources are available at the Pennsylvania Department of Health at: https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/Documents/Diseases%20and%20Conditions/Coronavirus%20Businesses%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf.
• If you have additional inquiries, email them to: ra_dcedcs@pa.gov. Include your name, business name, contact information, and concern.