NDIA lends voice to call on Congress for Section 3610 extension

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ARLINGTON, VA -- The National Defense Industrial Association joined 10 organizations in a letter urging lawmakers to extend Section 3610 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, beyond its Sept. 30 expiration date, as a part of the Fiscal Year 2022 continuing resolution, the Arlington, Virginia-based trade organization announces today.

According to NDIA, given the surge of the Delta variant of COVID-19, many federal agencies continue to use the authorization for reimbursement of certain expenses. This helps them retain skilled and trusted personnel when, through no fault of their own, they can’t work because of government closures or similar restrictions. These workers are vital to the health of the industrial base that keeps our government and our nation’s security functioning, NDIA said.

“This authority has been a critical lifeline for government programs and for the contractor industry during the COVID-19 emergency and has been used across government,” the later states. Agencies using the authority include the departments of Defense, Energy and Homeland Security and NASA.  “As noted in a recent Government Accountability Office report, 80% of the contractors they spoke to indicated that paid leave reimbursement had a great or moderate effect on their ability to retain employees, in particular those with specialized skills or clearances,” the letter states.

Extending Section 3610 of the CARES Act has been a pandemic-long effort. In March, NDIA worked with multiple stakeholders to prolong the authority. The amendment overwhelmingly passed the Senate by a 96-3 vote as a part of the American Rescue Plan. 

The complete letter is available here. It was sent to the respective House and Senate Appropriations committees. NDIA signed the letter with the Aerospace Industries Association, the Alliance for Digital Innovation, the American Council of Engineering Companies, the Associated General Contractors of America, the Center for Procurement Advocacy, the Computing Technology Industry Association, the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, the Information Technology Industry Council, the Professional Services Council and the Shipbuilders Council of America.

For media queries, contact Evamarie Socha at esocha@NDIA.org.