State governments advance legislation to address COVID-19 crisis

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to play out across the world and people everywhere are looking to make sense of this unique, chaotic situation, many Americans are keeping their eyes glued to the news to stay updated on what the president and Congress are doing to keep us safe. The federal government has recently passed three bills in an effort to keep the Americans safe and blunt economic damage caused by the global pandemic. Most recently, President Trump signed the CARES Act, a bill worth $2 trillion to prevent a large-scale economic fallout.

While action on a national level is undoubtedly necessary if the government is to provide safety for Americans and their savings, states are also working to make an impact through not only their gubernatorial actions but also the movement of bills through their legislatures. Here are some of the actions being taken across the United States to combat coronavirus. You can learn more about what your state legislature is doing to address the COVID-19 crisis by signing up for free email updates at FastDemocracy.com.

1. Waive K-12 requirements due to COVID-19 closures

Because of the need to avoid large gatherings in the coming months, a number of states have been working to pass bills that will allow schools to conduct classes online, while other states have put a pause on instruction altogether until the coronavirus situation has slowed. In order to take pressure off both instructors and families, some states have brought up legislation that will reduce the mandatory number of hours of instruction that students must receive each week.

2. Mandating insurance companies provide testing without co-pays

Given that the coronavirus has been deemed a national emergency, many states are taking action to make sure health insurance companies cover the cost of coronavirus testing. The driving idea behind this is twofold – first, to ensure that dealing with coronavirus is not cost-prohibitive, and second to stop the virus from spreading further across the larger population.

3. Temporarily change unemployment eligibility requirements

As a result of mandatory quarantines and the inability of many businesses to continue turning a profit when customers are remaining at home, state legislatures across the nation are making it easier for workers who have been laid off to access unemployment benefits. Early access to unemployment benefits would assist impacted workers maintain financial stability.

4. Preventing eviction and foreclosure during COVID-19

Because many Americans are currently finding themselves unable to go to work, concern regarding the payment of rent and utilities is growing. As such, some state legislatures are ensuring that those affected by the economic implications of the virus do not end up without a home. This legislation does not necessarily waive rent, mortgage, or utility payments; it just prevents eviction and foreclosure or the threat of eviction or foreclosure while the COVID-19 crisis is ongoing.

5. Halt debt collection

With unemployment claims rapidly increasing,
so are workers’ concerns about their ability to meet financial obligations. To
further assist workers impacted by the economic slow-down due to coronavirus, some
state legislatures are considering legislation that would pause debt repayments
in order to help Americans avoid bankruptcy.

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, state and local governments have been on the forefront of proposing policy solutions to help prevent the spread of the virus and assist affected workers and families. Because of the large impact that state legislatures can have in the fight against COVID-19 by passing bills like those listed above, it is now more important than ever that American citizens stay current on what is happening in government at all levels. You can learn more about what the state and federal governments are doing to address the COVID-19 crisis by signing up for free email updates at FastDemocracy.com.

FastDemocracy announces expansion and new features in advance of 2019 legislative session

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

October 22, 2018

 

FastDemocracy announces expansion and new features in advance of 2019 legislative session

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — FastDemocracy, an online bill tracker and legislative analytics platform, today announced that it has expanded its toolkit in advance of the 2019 legislative session to include new, innovative tools that make legislative advocacy more effective. The full, expanded suite of legislative analytics features is geared towards government relations professionals and available by online subscription at fastdemocracy.com.

 

“With our new, advanced analytics, we’re not only giving subscribers the ability to follow what’s happening in the legislature, we’re giving them the ability to predict outcomes and showing them the pathway to success.” said Jill Kline, CEO at FastDemocracy. “Paired with our user-friendly interface FastDemocracy empowers more businesses, organizations, and individuals to take control of their government relations strategy.”

 

FastDemocracy’s newly released, standout features include instant alerts of bill actions, amendment notifications and a one-of-a kind bill comparison feature. “The bill comparison feature is like a DNA fingerprint for bill language. If there’s similar bill language in other bills, you’ll know. If bill language of interest gets amended to another bill, we will alert you,” says Anatolij Gelimson, the CTO of FastDemocracy. “If organizations are pushing similar legislation in other states, you can see that with the click of a button.”

 

In 2019, FastDemocracy will further expand its toolkit to include predictive technology, allowing users to move beyond traditional bill tracking and identify effective, data-driven strategies for success. Additionally, FastDemocracy will expand its tracking and analytics capabilities to the local level, with St. Louis and Kansas City as the flagship cities.

 

FastDemocracy has seen substantial growth in 2018. The platform currently has more than 800 users, primarily in Missouri. FastDemocracy earned a $25,000 grant from Digital Sandbox KC in July and was a top prize winner in the third annual Pure Pitch Rally earlier this month.

 

FastDemocracy, founded in 2018 and headquartered in Kansas City, is a state and national legislative analytics platform that uses data-driven analytics and collaborative communications tools to empower professionals and consumers alike to be more informed and effective while advocating for policy change. For more information on FastDemocracy, visit fastdemocracy.com.

 

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FastDemocracy top prize winner at the Pure Pitch Rally

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

October 10, 2018

 

FastDemocracy top prize winner at Pure Pitch Rally startup competition

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — FastDemocracy today won prizes worth $110,000 and the People’s Choice Award at the Pure Pitch Rally, earning the company a spot as a top prize winner at the local startup competition. FastDemocracy’s earned cash awards as well as tech services from Amazon Web Service and an office space at WeWork Kansas City.

 

“We were thrilled to compete among such an impressive slate of entrepreneurs and honored to have earned such support,” said Sara Baker, chief innovation officer at FastDemocracy. “This recognition by venture capitalists and business leaders further validates the effectiveness of FastDemocracy’s platform and the need for innovation in the legislative advocacy industry.”

 

FastDemocracy competed against seven other area technology startups at the third annual Pure Pitch Rally. Each entrepreneur received three minutes to pitch their business to a panel of judges and investors.

 

FastDemocracy, founded in 2018 and headquartered in Kansas City, is a state and national legislative analytics platform that uses data-driven analytics and collaborative communications tools to empower professionals and consumers alike to be more informed and effective while advocating for policy change. For more information on FastDemocracy, visit fastdemocracy.com.

 

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FastDemocracy joins Digital Sandbox KC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

July 16, 2018

 

FastDemocracy joins Digital Sandbox KC

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — FastDemocracy today announced its selection as one of Digital Sandbox KC’s new portfolio companies. The opportunity to join the portfolio comes with a $25,000 grant and access to additional startup resources.

 

“We’re thrilled to join the Digital Sandbox KC portfolio,” said Jill Kline, CEO and co-founder of FastDemocracy. “This prestigious opportunity and additional funding will allow us to officially launch our company, bring on new subscribers, and help advocates effectively take control of their government relations strategy.”

 

FastDemocracy was one of only four startups selected in this most recent round of funding from Digital Sandbox KC. DigitalSandbox KC provides proof-of-concept funding to early stage startups in the Kansas City area.

 

FastDemocracy plans to apply the funding towards patent applications and work towards launching an upgraded analytics toolkit.

 

FastDemocracy, founded in 2018 and headquartered in Kansas City, is a legislative analytics platform that uses data-driven analytics and collaborative communications tools to empower professionals and consumers alike to be more informed and effective while advocating for policy change. For more information on FastDemocracy, visit fastdemocracy.com.

 

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