Forty-three states and the District of Columbia are failing to prioritize clergy in their vaccine rollouts despite federal guidance. This report from Napa Legal details the issue so that negligent states can update their distribution plans to ensure that clergy are not forgotten as essential workers.

The mandatory paid leave programs created under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (“FFCRA”) ended on December 31, 2020. However, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (“2021 Act”), signed into law on December 27, 2020, allows for voluntary paid leave and tax credits for employers for a limited period of time and makes other changes that will affect the workplace for all employers, including nonprofits.

The most recent coronavirus relief bill, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, (the “2021 Act”) expands on and extends existing programs created by previous relief acts. The main updates expand and continue programs under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, including the Paycheck Protection Program and the employee retention credit program, and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”).

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 does not significantly reduce the religious liberty-related concerns that SBA loan programs pose to faith-based loan applicants. In fact, changes in executive and legislative priorities may have increased cause for concern in this area. Many faith-based organizations have considered accepting federal financial assistance through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act loan programs (the Paycheck Protection Program, or “PPP,” and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans, or “EIDL”) and the new relief under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the “2021 Act”).

The first months of 2021 brought new sources of division, as “Big Tech” companies elected to suspend business relationships and censor several religious organizations on grounds that their views were unacceptable in the public square. Chilling examples include Twitter’s recent lockdowns of accounts operated by Catholic World Report and The Daily Citizen.