Dear Friend,  
  
As COVID-19 continues to devastate our community here in the East Bay, many families are also struggling to pay funeral costs for loved ones lost during this pandemic.   
  
I have good news to share—after almost a year of inaction from the Trump administration, we are finally able to deliver critical relief for families in need.   
  
FEMA is now authorized to grant up $2 billion in funeral expenses. Families who have lost a loved one to COVID-19 can be reimbursed up to $7,000 in funeral assistance retroactively to January 2020. This relief is available to anyone in the country regardless of immigration status.   
  
Those interested in participating in the program will need expense documentation, a death certificate, and other personal information documents.  

I’m proud to have partnered with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on this crucial relief measure for families in California and across the country already beset by unimaginable grief.   
  
No one should struggle to afford a proper funeral for a loved one. During this time of unprecedented pain and economic hardship, it’s a moral imperative that the federal government step in and provide relief.   While the details for this plan are still evolving, I will be reaching out with more information as it becomes available.  
  
As always, my office is here for you. If you need assistance with a federal issue, please contact my Oakland office at (510) 763-0370.  
  
Best, 

Barbara Lee