CERTS Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services

Division N, Title IV, Section 421 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the “Act”), Pub. L. No. 116-260 (December 27, 2020) authorized the $2 billion Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) program to provide grants to eligible motorcoach companies, school bus companies, passenger vessel companies, and pilotage companies that have experienced annual revenue losses of 25 percent or more as result of COVID-19 directly or indirectly. The priority use of grant funds must be for payroll costs, though grants may be used for operating expenses and the repayment of debt accrued to maintain payroll. The U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) has posted program guidelines on the CERTS webpage on treasury.gov: https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-american-industry/coronavirus-economic-relief-for-transportation-services The guidelines address the overall CERTS grant process, eligibility standards, grant amounts and payments, eligible uses of grant funds, and how to prepare for the grant application. Treasury will open a web-based application portal accessible through the CERTS webpage on treasury.gov. Once the application portal is made available, it will be open for 4 weeks. Interested companies should check the web page to see when the application portal opens and closes.