Between budget and appropriations requirements, the expiration of new programs and initiatives passed or extended in the CARES Act and the recent Phase 4 package passed by Congress in December 2020, and expiring tax provisions, lawmakers and federal agency officials will have a lot on their plate in the next year or so. Here is a thorough, but far from exhaustive, list of important policy dates and deadlines through the end of 2021.
January 2021
- 1: Rescission of Fed’s unused $429 billion from the Exchange Stabilization Fund (ESF) set up by the CARES Act (source)
- 3: 117th session of Congress begins (source)
- 5: GA-Sen. runoff elections (source)
- 6: Electoral votes counted (source)
- 9: Rescission of “any remaining unobligated balances” from ESF (source)
- 20: Inauguration Day (source)
February
- 1: Statutory deadline for the President to submit a budget to Congress (typically not met) (source)
- 1: Deadline for the DoD Comptroller to brief congressional defense committees on OCO principles for the FY 2022 budget (source)
- 15: Statutory deadline for CBO to report to Budget Committees on the President’s Budget (typically not met) (source)
March
- 14: End of FPUC $300-per-week boost to UI (source)
- 14: Deadline for new applicants to PUA and PEUC (benefits expire April 5) (source)
- 31: End of lending authority for the second round of PPP (source)
- 31: End of federal reimbursement program for contractor/subcontractor paid leave (source)
- 31: End of federally-funded credits for paid sick and family leave provided under the Phase 2 package (source)
- 31: End of suspension for Medicare sequestration cuts to hospitals and doctors (source)
- 31: End of federal agreement with airlines not to reduce pay and benefits (or furlough employees) in exchange for federal support under Phase 4 (source)
- 31: End of CDC eviction moratorium (extended through March by President Biden; source)
April
- 1: Deadline for Senate Budget Committee to report a concurrent resolution (typically not met) (source)
- 5: End of PUA program (for individuals not typically eligible for UI) and PEUC program (extension of regular UI benefits for several weeks beyond what is typical) (source)
- 15: Deadline for Congress to complete action on a concurrent budget resolution (typically not met) (source)
May
- 1: Treasury Department owes Congress a report on its implementation of the $15-billion airline worker support program passed under Phase 4 (source)
- 15: Deadline for annual appropriations bills to start being considered in House Approps (typically not met) (source)
June
- Sometime: Supreme Court decision on the latest challenge to the ACA (source)
- 10: Deadline for House Approps to report the last appropriations bills (typically not met) (source)
- 15: Statutory deadline for Congress to complete action on any budget reconciliation legislation (source)
- 30: End of SNAP 15% boost passed under Phase 4 (source)
- 30: Deadline for House to complete action on annual appropriations bills (typically not met) (source)
July
- 1: Expiration of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) (source)
- 1: Expiration of boosted ERTC passed under Phase 4 (source)
August
- 1: Debt limit expires (source)
September
- 30: FY 2021 ends; official end of the BCA era (source)
- 30: Expiration of NDAA
- 30: Expiration of FAST Act (current highway bill) (source)
- 30: Expiration of TANF (source)
- 30: Expiration of NFIP (source)
- 30: End of President Biden's pause on federal student loan principal and interest payments (source)
October
- 1: FY 2022 begins
November
- 2: Election Day
- NJ-Gov. and VA-Gov.
- NJ legislature and VA legislature
- Mayoral elections in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Miami, Minneapolis, New Orleans, NYC, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, Seattle, St. Louis, and more
December
- 31: Payment deadline for workers who had payroll taxes deferred under Trump EO (deadline extended under Phase 4) (source)
- 31: End of availability for $25 billion emergency rental assistance payments passed in Phase 4 (source)
- 31: Spending deadline for payments to state and local governments under the CARES Act (deadline extended under Phase 4) (source)
- 31: 3.75-percent boost to Medicare physician fee schedule (passed under Phase 4) expires (source)
- 31: End of covered period for SBA emergency EIDL grants (source)
- 31: A number of tax provisions expire (i.e., tax extenders; all of the below sourced from House Ways and Means Committee Republicans)
- “Sec. 131. Credit for electricity produced from certain renewable resources.
- Sec. 133. Mortgage insurance premiums as qualified residence interest.
- Sec. 134. Health coverage tax credit.
- Sec. 135. Indian employment credit.
- Sec. 136. Mine rescue team training credit.
- Sec. 137. Racehorse 3-year depreciation.
- Sec. 138. Indian business property depreciation.
- Sec. 139. American Samoa economic development credit.
- Sec. 140. Second generation biofuel producer credit.
- Sec. 141. Nonbusiness energy property credit.
- Sec. 142. Fuel cell motor vehicles credit.
- Sec. 143. Alternative fuel refueling property credit.
- Sec. 144. 2-wheeled electric vehicle credit.
- Sec. 145. Indian coal credit.
- Sec. 146. Energy efficient homes credit.
- Sec. 147. Alternative fuel and Alternative fuel mixture credit.
- Sec. 149. Black lung disability trust fund excise tax.”
- 31: $300 above-the-line individual charitable deduction (passed for 2020 tax year under CARES Act, passed for 2021 tax year under Phase 4) (source)
- 31: Expanded EITC and CTC ends (passed under Phase 4) (source)
- 31: Full expensing for R&D expires, moves to five-year amortization under TCJA (source)
- 31: Penalties and interest on unpaid deferred payroll taxes begin accruing (deadline extended under Phase 4) (source)