Client Alert: Highlights of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: Updates to the Paycheck Protection Program, Additional Support for the Restaurant and Airline Industries

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the Rescue Plan), the first stimulus legislation of the Biden Administration. Chief among the $1.9 trillion stimulus act is support for individuals, including $1,400 checks to many Americans, extended unemployment benefits, and expanded tax credits; $360 billion to state and local governments; and the biggest changes to the Affordable Care Act since its passage. Like past stimulus legislation, the Rescue Plan also provides support for businesses struggling as a result of the pandemic. Among other things, it provides a modest increase to the Paycheck Protection Program and expands the program’s eligibility to more non-profits and news organizations, creates a new grant program for restaurants that have suffered pandemic-related losses, and again extends payroll support for the airline industry.
 
In this alert, we build on our prior alerts concerning the CARES Act and related programs (available here) by providing a short overview of the key provisions of the Rescue Plan that relate to small business relief and airlines. This alert is not intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the Rescue Plan. Additional alerts concerning topics such as higher education[1] and employee benefits[2] have been published separately. We encourage you to reach out with particular questions or to obtain additional information about the topics covered in this alert or otherwise.
 
Click here to read the full alert. 

Related Locations

© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.

Client Alert: Highlights of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: Updates to the Paycheck Protection Program, Additional Support for the Restaurant and Airline Industries
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the Rescue Plan), the first stimulus legislation of the Biden Administration. Chief among the $1.9 trillion stimulus act is support for individuals, including $1,400 checks to many Americans, extended unemployment benefits, and expanded tax credits; $360 billion to state and local governments; and the biggest changes to the Affordable Care Act since its passage. Like past stimulus legislation, the Rescue Plan also provides support for businesses struggling as a result of the pandemic. Among other things, it provides a modest increase to the Paycheck Protection Program and expands the program’s eligibility to more non-profits and news organizations, creates a new grant program for restaurants that have suffered pandemic-related losses, and again extends payroll support for the airline industry.
 
In this alert, we build on our prior alerts concerning the CARES Act and related programs (available here) by providing a short overview of the key provisions of the Rescue Plan that relate to small business relief and airlines. This alert is not intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the Rescue Plan. Additional alerts concerning topics such as higher education[1] and employee benefits[2] have been published separately. We encourage you to reach out with particular questions or to obtain additional information about the topics covered in this alert or otherwise.
 
Click here to read the full alert. 

Related Locations

© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.

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