b'COVID RELIEFCOVID RELIEFTreasury Department Provides Guidance on Upcoming CERTS GRANT PROGRAMA t long last, there is now informationThe Treasury Department will open a portalTherewillbeafour-weekperiodin ongrantsundertheTreasuryat www.treasury.gov to receive applications,which applications will be received.If an Departments CERTS (Coronavirusbutthatportalisnotyetoperating. Theapplication comes in during the four-week EconomicReliefforTransportationfi step(whichcanbedonenow)isperiod, it will be considered (in other words,rst Services) program.Last year, PVA lobbiedforacompanyrepresentativetoobtainthis is not a fi rst-come-fi rst-served program).hard for Congress to enact CERTS, whichcredentialsthroughtheID.meidentity was accomplished in late December. service.Gotohttps://portal.treasury.gov/ CERTS grants will be non-competitive.The cares and click on the option Or create anTreasury Department says that all eligible Treasury has not yet opened the programID.me account.applicantswillreceiveanawardofsome to receive applications, nor has it indicatedamount, to be calculated by the Treasury.By the precise date on which it will do so.Butlaw, Treasury must make public the name of it has published a document fi in theAn important aspecta CERTS grant recipient and the amountlling details of the program.Click HERE for theof the programawarded.document.is that CongressAn important aspect of the program is that CERTSmaybeasourceofadditionalappropriated a sumCongress appropriated a sum of $2 billion economic assistance to the private operatortofundCERTS. Treasuryanticipates of a passenger vessel or small passenger vesselof $2 billion to fundthat this sum will be insufficient to fund that suff ered an annual fi loss of ateach applicant at the full amount it wouldnancialCERTS.least25percentbetween2019and2020otherwise receive under the formula used becauseofthepandemic. Othereligibleto calculate the size of the grant.Therefore, applicantsincludeprivatecompaniesthatThe applicant will use those credentials toTreasurywilllikelymakepro-rata operate motorcoaches and school buses. fi a web-based application for a grant onadjustments to each grant.Please note thatle In calculating the maximum amount of anthe CERTS portal (when it opens).WhenPVA is already seeking to persuade Congress award, the Treasury Department will deductTreasuryannounceswhentheportalwillto provide additional funding for CERTS, anyotherassistancepreviouslyreceivedopen for applications, PVA will immediatelybutitisuncertainwhetherandwhen underprogramssuchasthePaycheckshare that information with its membership. Congress might do so.Protection Program.PVA urges every potential CERTS applicant to promptly review the Treasury guidance documentandfamiliarizeitselfwiththe contents, particularly the instructions as to what fi and other information willnancial be needed to fi le an application.If you have questions, please contact Ed Welch at PVA Headquarters at 571-275-2066 (cell) orewelch@passengervessel.com. COVID RELIEF 32 FOGHORN'