Congressman Panetta Introduces the Sending Outside Support Act of 2020

SALINAS, CA – Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced legislation to provide immediate support to nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities across the country experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19 cases.

The Sending Outside Support Act of 2020, or the SOS Act of 2020, would authorize the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary to allocate certain amounts of funding to states for the creation of strike teams of clinical and non-clinical staff to assist nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities with the management and treatment of COVID-19 outbreaks. To date, over 28,000 residents and workers have died from COVID-19 at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities across the United States.

"Residents and workers at nursing homes are particularly susceptible to COVID-19. Although the nurses and staff at these facilities are doing what they can during this crisis, it is clear that some need more support to properly care for their vulnerable inhabitants," said Congressman Panetta. "My bill will provide the funding necessary for clinical and non-clinical strike teams to go in to those nursing homes in need and provide the necessary support to protect our loved ones who live and work in those facilities."

"Strike teams" have already been used with great success in various states, including Maryland and Massachusetts, to ramp up care in places that have seen the highest COVID-19 case counts.

Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), and Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO) are original cosponsors of the legislation.