United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2020
Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act This bill directs the Agricultural Marketing Service of the Department of Agriculture to establish a program to award grants to states or state departments of agriculture to provide support to agricultural fairs for losses sustained by such fairs due to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Grant amounts shall be based on the difference between the average attendance at agricultural fairs in the state for a month occurring in 2019 compared to the corresponding month in 2020. As a condition of receiving a grant, recipients shall agree to (1) prioritize supporting agricultural fairs in the state facing the greatest financial hardship, and (2) use not more than 1% of grant funds for administrative costs incurred in providing support to agricultural fairs.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2020
Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act of 2020 This bill authorizes the use of certain foreign assistance funds to provide comprehensive reproductive health care services in developing countries, including abortion services, training, and equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2020
Worker Relief and Security Act of 2020 This bill extends, and expands eligibility for, pandemic unemployment assistance; it also extends federal pandemic unemployment compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2020
Emergency SNAP Flexibilities Extension Act This bill extends existing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) flexibilities for states during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. Under current law, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has temporarily waived certain requirements under SNAP due to COVID-19. Specifically, the bill authorizes states to extend through June 30, 2021, SNAP certification periods and adjust periodic reporting and interview requirements for some or all participating households without USDA approval. Additionally, states may allow household reporting requirements to satisfy the recertification requirements for some or all participating households with recertification periods set to expire on or before December 31, 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2020
Save our Stages Act or the SOS Act This bill authorizes the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make grants to eligible live venue operators, producers, promoters, or talent representatives to address the economic effects of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic on certain live venues. Specifically, the SBA may make (1) an initial grant of up to $12 million dollars to an eligible operator, promoter, producer, or talent representative; and (2) a supplemental grant that is equal to 50% of the initial grant. An initial grant must be used for costs incurred between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, but a supplemental grant may be used for expenses incurred through June 30, 2021. Such grants shall be used for specified expenses such as payroll costs, rent, utilities, and personal protective equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2020
Preventing Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America's Streets Act This bill imposes limitations on federal law enforcement officers and members of the Armed Forces (or the National Guard) engaging in law enforcement activities related to crowd control. When engaged in certain law enforcement activities related to crowd control, such an officer or member (1) shall clearly display certain identifying information, such as the individual's last name or unique identifier; and (2) shall not use an unmarked vehicle to apprehend or arrest civilians. Such an officer or member may only engage in certain law enforcement activities, such as crowd or riot control and arrest of individuals engaged in civil disobedience, on or in the immediate vicinity of federal property, unless (1) a state or local government has requested federal support, or (2) the President has invoked certain authorities to suppress insurrection. If such an officer or member is conducting a law enforcement function in violation of the limitations in this bill, the officer or member may not arrest an individual in the United States. If such an officer or member is deployed to respond to any riot, public disturbance, or crowd control incident, the responsible federal agency or branch of the Armed Forces shall, within 24 hours of the deployment, notify the public and provide certain information on its website.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2020
Represent America Abroad Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of State to establish the Represent America Mid-Career Foreign Service Entry Program to increase diversity in the Foreign Service by recruiting mid-career professionals who are from minority groups. As part of the program, the State Department shall (1) establish and publish eligibility criteria for participation; (2) carry out recruitment efforts to attract highly qualified, mid-career professionals from minority groups; and (3) include appropriate mentorship and other career development opportunities for program participants. The State Department must submit an annual report on the status of the program.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2020
COVID-19 Data Transparency Act This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to standardize reporting by government health departments of COVID-19 data, including information related to hospital admissions, testing, contact tracing, and transmission rates. In addition, the CDC must publicly post and periodically update this information on its website with individually identifiable information excluded.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2020
Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to provide grants and other forms of emergency assistance to certain providers of transportation services that have experienced a significant revenue loss as a direct or indirect result of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Treasury must ensure equal access to the assistance for small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses. As a condition of receipt of assistance, Treasury must require that a provider of transportation services agree to (1) use the funds, on a priority basis, to maintain through December 31, 2020, pay, paid administrative leave, and benefits to all employees after making any adjustments required for retirement or voluntary employee separation; and (2) recall or rehire any employee laid off, furloughed, or terminated because of reduced service as a result of COVID-19, to the extent warranted by increased service levels.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2020
Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act This bill authorizes the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, subject to certain limitations, to waive matching funds requirements applicable to certain grants for reducing substance use among youth. Before waiving these requirements, the program must determine that a grantee is unable to raise funds because of the COVID-19 (i.e. coronavirus disease 2019) emergency. Currently, the Office of National Drug Control Policy administers this program, and community coalitions that receive the grants must match a specified percentage of the federal award amount with nonfederal funds, including in-kind contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2020
This bill adds additional factors for the design of the counseling pathways to address the needs of members of the Armed Forces under the Transition Assistance Program.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2020
VA Clinical Training in Evidence-based treatments And Military Culture Act of 2020 or the VA Clinical TEAM Culture Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish standards and requirements for the provision of mental health care by non-VA providers in the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP). The established standards must be the same as the standards applicable to VA employees who provide mental health care. The VA must require non-VA mental health care providers to complete training courses on military culture, core competencies for health care professionals, suicide evaluation and management, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and military sexual trauma after the provider becomes approved under the VCCP. The VA must also (1) identify additional training areas for which to develop courses, and (2) require the non-VA providers to complete such courses.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2020
VA Zero Suicide Demonstration Project Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish the Zero Suicide Initiative pilot program for the purpose of improving safety and suicide care for veterans. The program must be implemented at five VA medical centers, including one that serves veterans in rural and remote areas.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2020
Protect Access to Birth Control Act This bill nullifies interim final rules issued by the Department of Labor, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Health and Human Services that allow employers with religious or moral objections to be exempt from the requirement that their health insurance plans cover contraceptive services without cost-sharing.
United States · United States Congress · 2 July 2020
Reviving the Economy Sustainably Towards A Recovery in Twenty-twenty Act or the RESTART Act This bill establishes a loan program whereby the Small Business Administration (SBA) shall guarantee loan amounts to certain businesses affected by COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill requires the SBA to guarantee 100% of program loan amounts made to certain small businesses that have not more than than 5,000 full-time employees. The terms for such loans shall include (1) a maximum duration of not more than seven years; (2) an amount that is not greater than 45% of 2019 gross receipts, up to $12 million; and (3) no payment on principal for the first two years of the loan. A lender that is otherwise approved to make paycheck protection loans may make and approve loans established by the bill, and a recipient may use loan funds for specified allowable expenses including payroll costs, rent, utilities, and personal protective equipment. Such loans may be forgiven up to the amount of total losses incurred by the recipient in the taxable year 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2020
This bill authorizes appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs for construction projects, nonrecurring maintenance, and grants for the acquisition and operation of state home facilities for furnishing domiciliary, nursing home, and hospital care.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2020
Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act of 2020 This bill modifies provisions related to Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which typically involves the reorganization of a debtor company's assets and debts. Specifically, the bill (1) expands available claims and priorities for employees and retirees, and (2) places additional restrictions on the compensation of executives and other high level employees. With respect to employee and retiree recoveries and losses, the bill increases the maximum value and age of specified wage and benefit claims entitled to priority payment; allows certain claims for losses related to defined contribution plans, if the employer or plan sponsor has committed fraud or otherwise breached its fiduciary duty; allows, as an administrative expense of the estate, severance pay owed to employees and contributions to an employee benefit plan; establishes certain restrictions regarding the rejection or amendment of a collective bargaining agreement; revises specified procedures related to the reduction or denial of retiree benefits; requires a court, in approving a sale of business assets, to consider the extent to which a bidder has offered to maintain existing jobs and assume benefit obligations; and allows claims related to pension losses. With respect to executive compensation, the bill establishes specified limitations related to executive compensation enhancements, prohibits executives from receiving certain retiree benefits if such benefits were reduced or eliminated for other employees or retirees, and revises other requirements related to court approval of such compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2020
Child Care for Economic Recovery Act This bill provides additional funding in FY2020 for taxpayer services, social services block grants, and infrastructure grants to improve child care safety, including needs assessments. The bill adds and modifies certain tax provisions to increase and make refundable the child and dependent care tax credit; increase the exclusion from employee income for employer-provided dependent care assistance; allow employers payroll tax credits for certain fixed expenses of child care facilities closed due to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), certain employer-paid employee dependent care expenses, and the employment of workers who perform domestic service in the private home of an employer; and allow a carryover of unused benefits or contributions remaining in a dependent care flexible spending arrangement from the 2020 plan year to the 2021 plan year. The bill increases funding (1) in FY2020-FY2024 for the general child care entitlement under the Social Security Act, and (2) for child care services for the children of essential workers. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct an immediate needs assessment of the condition of child care facilities throughout the United States and authorizes HHS to award grants to acquire, construct, renovate, or improve child care facilities, including expanding facilities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2020
Growing Renewable Energy and Efficiency Now Act of 2020 or the GREEN Act of 2020 This bill provides tax incentives for investment in renewable energy resources and energy efficiency programs. Among other provisions, the bill extends for five years the tax credit for production of electricity from certain renewable resources (e.g., wind facilities, biomass, landfill trash facilities), the election to treat certain tangible property as energy property for purposes of the energy tax credit, and certain provisions of the energy tax credit; expands the energy tax credit to include energy storage technology, waste energy recovery property, and qualified biogas property; extends for two years the tax credit for carbon oxide sequestration; allows elective payments in lieu of certain energy-related tax credits; modifies the phaseout provisions of the income and excise tax credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel and extends the termination date for such credits; extends for five years and increases the tax credit for nonbusiness energy property and the new energy efficient home tax credit; extends for six years the residential energy efficient property tax credit; extends for five years the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings; modifies the limitations on new qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicles tax credit and allows a new credit for such vehicles that are previously-owned; allows a new tax credit for zero emission heavy vehicles (vehicles with a gross weight rating of not less than 14,000 pounds and not powered by an internal combustion engine); extends for five years the tax credits for qualified fuel cell motor vehicles and alternative fuel cell refueling property; provides for additional allocations of the advanced energy project tax credit; allows a new tax credit for the labor costs of installing mechanical insulation property; allows a new tax credit to promote environmental justice programs (programs to improve health and economic outcomes of individuals residing in low-income areas or areas populated disproportionately by racial or ethnic minorities); and requires the Department of the Treasury to report on the utility of data from the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program for determining the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by taxpayers for purposes of imposing a fee on them for such emissions.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2020
Research Investment to Spark the Economy Act or the RISE Act This bill authorizes the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, the Interior, and Health and Human Services and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation, and Environmental Protection Agency to provide support for research regarding COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) or research disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Support under this bill shall be provided through federal science agencies with at least $50 million in basic and applied research obligations in FY2020. Support may be used to provide supplemental funding to extend the duration of a grant to a research institution or national laboratory that was awarded prior to the enactment of this bill, or to expand the purposes of such a grant as specified; provide supplemental funding through existing competitively awarded cooperative agreements and contracts to cover the increased costs of construction of scientific facilities and equipment that have been delayed because of COVID-19; and award grants and cooperative agreements to institutions of higher education to conduct research on the behavioral, social, or economic effects of COVID-19 and the responses to the disease or on the effectiveness of such responses. Agencies must provide the support as rapidly as possible. Provided funds shall remain available for expenditure for up to two years.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2020
Masks Work Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health to provide access to, increase public awareness of, and support research on cloth face coverings to reduce the spread of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), respectively.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2020
This resolution recognizes the historical significance and supports the continued celebration of Juneteenth Independence Day, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2020
Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed To Survive Act of 2020 or the RESTAURANTS Act of 2020 This bill temporarily establishes and provides funding for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, from which the Department of the Treasury shall make grants to eligible food and beverage purveyors to cover specified costs. The amount of such a grant shall be reduced by the amount of (1) any emergency grant received for an economic injury disaster loan, or (2) any paycheck protection loan amount forgiven under the Paycheck Protection Program established to support small businesses in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). For the grant program's initial period, Treasury must (1) prioritize awarding grants to marginalized and underrepresented communities, and (2) only award grants to eligible food and beverage purveyors with annual revenues of less than $1.5 million.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2020
Confederate Monument Removal Act This bill prohibits a state from providing for display in National Statuary Hall a statue of a person who voluntarily served with the Confederate States of America, and it provides for the removal, return, and replacement of any statue currently on display that depicts such a person.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020
Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act of 2020 This bill modifies the extension of dependent coverage under TRICARE by allowing a dependent under the age of 26 to be covered without an additional premium. Additionally, the bill authorizes such coverage of dependents without a premium regardless of whether they are eligible to enroll in an employer sponsored plan.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020
COVID-19 Memorial Quilt Act of 2020 This bill directs the Smithsonian Institution and the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to jointly carry out a project to be known as the "COVID-19 Pandemic Memorial Quilt Project" to honor and remember Americans who have lost their lives to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. The bill establishes the Congressional Advisory Panel on Honoring Victims of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The panel shall develop and submit a plan to carry out the memorial quilt project.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2020
Justice in Policing Act of 2020 This bill addresses a wide range of policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. It includes measures to increase accountability for law enforcement misconduct, to enhance transparency and data collection, and to eliminate discriminatory policing practices. The bill facilitates federal enforcement of constitutional violations (e.g., excessive use of force) by state and local law enforcement. Among other things, it does the following: lowers the criminal intent standard—from willful to knowing or reckless—to convict a law enforcement officer for misconduct in a federal prosecution, limits qualified immunity as a defense to liability in a private civil action against a law enforcement officer or state correctional officer, and authorizes the Department of Justice to issue subpoenas in investigations of police departments for a pattern or practice of discrimination. The bill also creates a national registry—the National Police Misconduct Registry—to compile data on complaints and records of police misconduct. It establishes a framework to prohibit racial profiling at the federal, state, and local levels. The bill establishes new requirements for law enforcement officers and agencies, including to report data on use-of-force incidents, to obtain training on implicit bias and racial profiling, and to wear body cameras.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2020
Homeless Veterans Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 This bill addresses the administration of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs and benefits for homeless veterans during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the bill authorizes the VA to reallocate specified grant funds to provide homeless veterans and veterans participating in the Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program with transportation, assistance required for safety and survival, and communications equipment and services; collaborate with organizations to manage use of VA land for homeless veterans for living and sleeping; provide a maximum rate, in certain situations, for per diem payments that is three times the rate authorized for state homes for domiciliary care; provide amounts for additional transitional housing beds to facilitate access to housing and services provided to homeless veterans; and waive certain inspection and safety code requirements to allow grant recipients and therapeutic housing facilities to make adjustments (e.g., facilitating social distancing or isolation needs). Per diem payments may be used to provide assistance required for safety and survival (e.g., food) for homeless veterans and formerly homeless veterans residing in a facility operated by a grant recipient or entity that receives per diem payments for furnishing services to homeless veterans. Finally, the bill requires the VA to ensure that veterans participating in or receiving services under a program for homeless veterans have access to telehealth services. The VA must ensure telehealth capabilities are available to such veterans, VA case managers, and community-based service providers.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2020
Veterans Economic Recovery Act of 2020 This bill addresses the employment and retraining of veterans, specifically during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a program under which the VA must provide up to 12 months of nontransferable retraining assistance to up to 35,000 eligible veterans for the pursuit of a specified program of education. Under the bill, an eligible veteran is an individual who, among other requirements, is unemployed due to COVID-19. Veterans who receive retraining assistance may only use such assistance to pursue specified programs, including those designed to provide training for high-demand occupations. The Government Accountability Office must report on the outcomes and effectiveness of the retraining assistance program. The bill provides access to the National Directory of New Hires to the VA and the Department of Labor for the purpose of tracking the employment of veterans. The bill makes updates to the VA's High Technology Pilot Program, including by expanding the class of providers of high technology education programs. The bill reauthorizes and expands the program for the provision of off-base transition training for veterans and their spouses, including by requiring a preference for participation by states with economies significantly impacted by COVID-19. Finally, the bill implements a five-year grant program requiring the VA to make grants to organizations for the provision of transition assistance to members of the Armed Forces who are separated, retired, or discharged from the Armed Forces, and spouses of such members.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2020
Great American Outdoors Act This bill establishes the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund to support deferred maintenance projects on federal lands. For FY2021-FY2025, there shall be deposited into the fund an amount equal to 50% of all federal revenues from the development of oil, gas, coal, or alternative or renewable energy on federal lands and waters. Deposited amounts must not exceed $1.9 billion for any fiscal year. The fund must be used for priority deferred maintenance projects in specified systems that are administered by the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Indian Education. The Government Accountability Office must report on the effect of the fund in reducing the backlog of priority deferred maintenance projects for the specified agencies. Additionally, the bill makes funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) permanent. The President shall annually report to Congress specified details regarding the allocation of funds to the LWCF. Congress may provide for alternate allocations using specified procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2020
This concurrent resolution (1) affirms, on the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first slave ship, the U.S. debt of remembrance not only to those who lived through the injustices of slavery but also to their descendants; and (2) proposes a U.S. Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation to properly acknowledge, memorialize, and be a catalyst for progress, including toward permanently eliminating persistent racial inequities.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2020
Special Districts Provide Essential Services Act This bill makes special districts eligible for payments from the Coronavirus Relief Fund if more than $150 billion is appropriated to the fund. The bill also directs the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to include special districts as eligible issuers in the Municipal Liquidity Facility program. A special district is a political subdivision, formed pursuant to general law or special act of a state, for the purpose of performing one or more governmental or proprietary functions. Services that such districts provide include first responders, firefighting, public health, or transit.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2020
Child Care Is Essential Act This bill establishes and provides $50 billion in appropriations for the Child Care Stabilization Fund to award grants to child care providers during and after the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. The bill establishes the fund within the existing Department of Health and Human Services Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program, and the grants must be administered by the existing CCDBG lead agencies of states, tribes, or territories. Child care providers that are currently open or temporarily closed due to COVID-19 are eligible to receive grant awards, which are based on the provider's operating costs before the COVID-19 public health emergency and adjusted to account for the increased costs of providing child care as a result of COVID-19.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2020
Climate Smart Ports Act This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program for purchasing or installing equipment and technology that (1) is used at a port and produces zero exhaust emissions of certain pollutants and greenhouse gases, or (2) captures 100% of the exhaust emissions produced by an ocean-going vessel at berth.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2020
Cash Refunds for Coronavirus Cancellations Act of 2020 This bill requires air carriers and ticket agents to offer full cash refunds for all cancelled tickets during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency period, regardless of whether the air carrier cancelled an entire flight or the passengers cancelled their individual tickets. The bill permits air carriers and tickets agents to offer alternative forms of compensation, including credit, or vouchers, provided that such offer is valid indefinitely and the offer includes a clear and conspicuous notice of the passenger's right to a cash refund. Additionally, the bill provides that passengers who received an alternative form of compensation prior to the enactment of this bill, but have not used it, may request a cash refund to replace the alternative compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2020
This resolution expresses support for the goals and ideals of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Awareness Month. PCOS is caused by a hormone imbalance. Symptoms can include infertility, weight gain, excess hair growth, and acne. It recognizes the need for further research, improved treatment and care options, and a cure for PCOS. It also acknowledges the struggles affecting all women and girls afflicted with PCOS.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2020
This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Billie Jean King in recognition of her courageous and groundbreaking leadership advancing equal rights for women and the LGBTQ community in athletics, education, and our society.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2020
Paycheck Recovery Act of 2020 This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to establish a paycheck recovery program to provide grants for certain small businesses and employers that have lost revenue because of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) to pay wages and fixed expenses such as rent, utilities, and safety equipment. Treasury shall award such grants to employers that have experienced revenue losses above a 10% gross receipts threshold or to small businesses that employ 20 or fewer individuals and have annual gross receipts of less than $3 million. Recipients shall receive an initial, 90-day grant that covers the percentage of revenue loss multiplied by wages provided to an employee (up to a salary cap of $90,000), plus an additional 25% of total wages to cover business operating costs. Subsequent grants shall be disbursed on a monthly basis until the nationwide unemployment rate remains below 7% for three consecutive months, at which point Treasury shall terminate the program. An employer receiving a grant must meet certain conditions related to share repurchases, payments to shareholders or bondholders, and executive compensation and bonuses, as well as conditions relating to labor protections such as keeping employees on payroll and benefits. The bill also establishes a Congressional Paycheck Recovery Program Implementation Oversight Board to ensure employers that receive grants use the funds appropriately and comply with all conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2020
This bill requires a federal executive agency to expend 50% of funds obligated by such agency for the advertising and underwriting activities of local media for the period beginning on the enactment of this bill, and ending on December 31, 2020. It also requires such agencies to expend 25% of such funds for the period beginning on or after January 1, 2021. At least 45% of agency advertising and underwriting activities funding must be expended equally between newspapers, television stations, and radio stations that are local media. The bill (1) expands the payroll protection program to newspaper, radio, and Internet publishing businesses with not more than 500 employees; (2) allows a payroll tax credit for 30% of first-year newsroom wages paid by a local media company; and (3) treats the publication (including electronic publication) of written news articles by an independent or community-based publication as a tax-exempt purpose. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting must provide programming to preschool, elementary, and secondary school children that promotes digital literacy during the period that such children cannot attend school due to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2020
Paycheck Protection Program Transparency Act of 2020 This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to disclose and report certain information related to the Paycheck Protection Program established to support small businesses in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the SBA must establish a website that includes specified information including (1) the name, location, and number of employees of each paycheck protection loan recipient; and (2) the number of loans disbursed and total fees collected by each paycheck protection lender. Additionally, the SBA must report to Congress on the status of paycheck protection loans.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2020
PPP Data and Diversity Accountability Act of 2020 This bill requires the Small Business Administration to collect and report specified demographic data for recipients of assistance under the Paycheck Protection Program established to support small businesses in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Utilizing and Supporting Evacuated Peace Corps Volunteers Act This bill provides benefits for Peace Corps volunteers, including health insurance for volunteers whose service was terminated due to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak. Such a terminated Peace Corps volunteer shall receive health insurance for two months upon return to the United States. The volunteer may elect to extend such insurance, at the volunteer's expense, until the last day in which the volunteer would be eligible for unemployment benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. Executive branch departments and agencies with hiring needs, as well as the Corporation for National and Community Service, shall establish expedited processes for hiring and enrolling such terminated Peace Corps volunteers. The Peace Corps shall (1) resume all programs, to the extent possible, as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided; and (2) establish an expedited process for reenrolling Peace Corps volunteers whose service was terminated due to COVID-19. For the purpose of Foreign Service officer appointments, a candidate's previous Peace Corps service shall be considered a significant affirmative factor but shall be less significant than the affirmative factor afforded to a veteran. The Peace Corps shall inform exiting volunteers of various health care options available after leaving the Peace Corps. The bill allows the official seal or emblem of the Peace Corps and the name Peace Corps to be used on any death announcement, plaque, gravestone, or other grave marker of a former volunteer, officer, or employee.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act of 2020 This bill authorizes the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to award additional grants under the Emergency Solutions Grant program to provide rental assistance for short-term and medium-term housing to homeless individuals or families, or those who are at risk of homelessness, and expands eligibility for such additional assistance. For assistance provided under the bill, the term at risk of homelessness shall include individuals and families that have an income below 80% of the median income for the area (rather than 30% of the area median income, as under current law). Rental assistance provided under the bill shall generally be limited to 120% of the HUD-established fair market rent for the area, whereas currently rental assistance under the program is generally limited to 100% of an area's fair market rent. Such assistance may not be conditioned on any prerequisite activities, such as receiving treatment. HUD may, with some limitations, waive requirements or establish alternative requirements related to such assistance if doing so is necessary to respond to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Expanding Medical Partnerships with Israel to Lessen Dependence on China Act or the EMPIL-DOC Act This bill authorizes a bilateral grant program with Israel to develop health technologies, with an emphasis on the use of technology, personalized medicine, and data in relation to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Technologies to be developed through this program include, among others, artificial intelligence, respiratory assist devices, and diagnostic tests. In addition, the program conditions funding on a matching contribution from the government of Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2020
This bill provides certain lease protections for service members under stop movement orders in response to a local, national, or global emergency. A service member may terminate a lease for premises or for a motor vehicle, and may not be charged an early termination fee for doing so, if the service member (1) enters into the lease upon receipt of certain military orders for permanent change of station, deployment with a military unit, or individual support of military operations; and (2) subsequently receives, in response to a local, national, or global emergency, a stop movement order for an indefinite period or at least 30 days. For the bill to apply in the case of a lease for premises, the stop movement order must prevent the service member or the service member's dependents from occupying the premises.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2020
Resources for Workforce Investments, Not Drilling Act or the ReWIND Act This bill limits the financial assistance that fossil fuel companies may receive from programs that provide relief to businesses affected by the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak, the Department of Interior's authority with respect to fossil fuels, the types and amount of oil that may be placed in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), and the issuance or modification of rules until the COVID-19 national emergency terminates. Specifically, it prohibits fossil fuel businesses from receiving financial assistance, loans, and loan guarantees under specified provisions of the Defense Production Act of 1950 and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or the CARES Act. Further, certain financial institutions (e.g., banks) that receive funding under the CARES Act may not operate or invest in such businesses for two years. In addition, Interior may not (1) conduct lease sales for oil or natural gas; (2) issue leases for oil, natural gas, or coal; (3) modify regulations related to fossil fuel; or (4) reduce or eliminate royalty rates for fossil fuel leases on federal lands and in federal waters. The bill decreases the storage cap on the SPR and declares that privately-owned oil may not be stored in the SPR. Finally, the bill suspends the issuance of new rules until the national emergency terminates unless the rules are specifically required to respond to, or recover from, COVID-19.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2020
Eating Disorder Prevention in Schools Act of 2020 This bill requires local educational agencies (LEAs) participating in the school lunch or breakfast programs to include goals for reducing disordered eating in children of all sizes in their local school wellness policies. Such LEAs must also include registered dietitians and licensed mental health professionals in the development, implementation, and periodic review of such policies. The bill also requires the Department of Agriculture to provide information and technical assistance to LEAs, school food authorities, school health professionals, and state educational agencies for use in establishing healthy school environments. Such technical assistance must promote eating disorder prevention and encourage screening for such disorders.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2020
Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act This bill provides for the procurement and distribution of equipment and supplies needed to combat COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). The bill sets forth responsibilities for the National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including that the NRCC must (1) direct the national production and distribution of critical medical equipment and supplies; (2) communicate with states, local governments, and Native American tribes regarding the availability and delivery schedule of equipment and supplies; and (3) make specified information publicly available. The Department of Defense may detail members of the Armed Forces on active duty or civilian employees to support the NRCC. The President, using authorities provided under the Defense Production Act of 1950, must establish a fair and reasonable price for and procure needed equipment and supplies. The Government Accountability Office must annually submit a report to Congress assessing the Strategic National Stockpile. The Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency shall designate an inspector general to oversee this bill's implementation.
![Official portrait of Rep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000593_200.jpg)