In this difficult time, Washington Filmworks and our new partner organization, Whipsmart, are working to share information for both the film and creative communities in Washington State as it becomes available. Whipsmart is a new creative economy-focused nonprofit that gives creative professionals the tools they need to succeed by meeting them where they’re at.
Today Congress passed a third package of emergency relief legislation, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security “CARES” Act. This is breaking news and the federal legislation that was signed into law today will need to be interpreted and implemented at the state level. So in the coming weeks, there will be many more details that need to be discussed and communicated to the public.
This bill expands key unemployment insurance benefits to include those who are self-employed, gig workers, independent contractors and freelancers. This means arts and entertainment workers will now receive economic support to help make up for the income lost due to cancelled or postponed work. Here are the notable benefits from the new relief bill.