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Who gets a payment?
The payments are worth up to $1,400 per person and are expected to reach 85% of households, according to the White House.
Families will receive an additional $1,400 per dependent, so a couple with two children could receive up to $5,600. Unlike prior rounds, families will now receive the additional money for adult dependents over the age of 17.
The full amount goes to individuals earning less than $75,000 of adjusted gross income, heads of households (like single parents) earning less than $112,500 and married couples earning less than $150,000. But then the payments gradually phase out as income goes up.
Lawmakers narrowed the scope of the payments this time so that not everyone who received a previous check will be sent one now. It cuts off individuals who earn at least $80,000 a year of adjusted gross income, heads of households who earn at least $120,000 and married couples who earn at least $160,000 regardless of how many children they have.
Some spending, such as cash transfers, can occur at speed.
The Biden administration already announced that it will send the $1,400 in direct checks a total of about $400 billion starting this weekend. The administration also will continue the enhanced jobless aid for the 20.1 million Americans who are collecting some form of the benefits. Both the direct checks and jobless aid were part of past COVID aid packages that totaled roughly $4 trillion, meaning the government has systems in place to distribute the money.
But other elements are trickier.
There is $130 billion for K-12 schools to hire teachers, upgrade ventilation systems and make other improvements so that in-person classes can resume. Universities are eligible for $40 billion. Separately, $30 billion in housing aid is available. And there is about $120 billion for vaccine distribution and coronavirus testing, among other public health expenses.
President Joe Biden has signed a sweeping pandemic relief package over Republican opposition that provides direct payments of up to $1,400, extends emergency unemployment benefits and boosts spending for COVID-19 vaccines.