Montana Seasonal Workers & Businesses Granted Flexibility for Paycheck Protection Program, Tester Announces

Senator had pushed for expanded eligibility

Additional Montana seasonal workers will now be eligible for relief under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) after a push from U.S. Senator Jon Tester to expand the program to cover these essential businesses.

Tester pushed Senate leadership to make this change earlier this month.

“From our flyfishing guides to our ski lift operators, our state depends on seasonal workers and the businesses that employ them—and we can’t leave them behind,” Tester said. “Providing small businesses with more flexibility in the Paycheck Protection Program is not only the right thing to do for the workers that power Montana’s outdoor recreation economy, it’s the best way to keep our seasonal businesses afloat so until this crisis passes—and I’ll continue working to ensure these folks have the flexibility they need to take advantage of the program.”

Last week, Tester also successfully expanded eligibility for PPP to include Tribal gaming enterprises and all taverns, casinos, and bars with fewer than 500 employees.

He had pushed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza to amend the PPP rules to include business and workers that are essential to Montana’s economy, and fought to ensure the CARES Act included the Paycheck Protection Program—a critical lifeline intended to help small businesses keep the lights on.

You can read Tester’s letter to Senate Leadership on eligibility for seasonal businesses HERE.

Visit tester.senate.gov/coronavirusresources for a list of resources for Montanans during the COVID-19 outbreak