A new federal law gives freelancers desperately needed unemployment insurance coverage in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. But California employment officials have yet to implement the new rules because they’re awaiting federal guidance.

That means that for now there is no way for freelancers to apply for assistance unless they claim they were “misclassified” employees or had voluntarily paid into the Unemployment Insurance Program individually or through an employer, none of which is required under the new federal law.