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![Official portrait of Rep. Allen, Rick W. [R-GA-12]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/a000372_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
1,454 records where Rep. Allen, Rick W. [R-GA-12] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2021
This resolution supports the recognition of January 22 each year as the Day of Tears in the United States and encourages citizens to lower their flags to half-staff to memorialize the unborn.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2021
No Taxpayer Funding for the World Health Organization Act This bill prohibits the United States from providing any assessed or voluntary contributions to the World Health Organization.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2021
Veterans' True Choice Act of 2021 This bill allows covered veterans to receive coverage under TRICARE Select, a health care program of the Department of Defense (DOD). Veterans covered by this bill include those with service-connected disabilities, former prisoners of war, Purple Heart recipients, Medal of Honor recipients, those discharged from service due to disability, and those entitled to disability compensation. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must reimburse DOD's costs of enrolling eligible veteran beneficiaries in the program. A covered veteran may not concurrently receive medical care from DOD and the VA.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2021
Taxpayer Conscience Protection Act of 2021 This bill establishes reporting requirements for states regarding certain Medicaid payments to abortion providers. Specifically, the bill requires states that make Medicaid payments using federal funds for any items or services furnished by an abortion provider to annually (1) submit a report to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on all such payments, and (2) publish the report on the state's website. The report must include specified information, including the number of abortions performed by the providers and the gestational age with respect to each such abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2021
This resolution supports the designation of National School Choice Week.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2021
Save Democracy Act This bill addresses issues involving voter registration, casting of ballots, and tabulation of ballots in federal elections. Specifically, regarding voter registration for federal elections, the bill prohibits the use of automatic voter registration systems, requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, requires individuals to provide their full Social Security number on their voter registration application, and requires courts to notify state election officials when an individual is recused from jury duty because the individual is not a U.S. citizen. Next, regarding the casting of ballots in federal elections, the bill requires individuals to provide proof of identification for absentee and in-person voting, prohibits states from mailing unrequested absentee ballots, prohibits the use of a drop box for collecting voted absentee ballots unless it is located inside of a building that serves as an office for the election official, restricts the delivery of ballots by third parties (i.e., prohibits ballot harvesting), requires that absentee ballots be received before the polls close on election day, and requires states to use Social Security numbers to verify the identification of each individual who casts a ballot. Finally, regarding the tabulation of ballots in federal elections, the bill requires states to permit poll watching by at least two campaign representatives per campaign, requires continuous counting of ballots after the closure of polling places on election day, and requires an audit of voting systems.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2021
Support Peaceful Protest Act This bill imposes additional penalties upon an individual who is convicted of a federal offense related to conduct during the course of a protest (e.g., rioting). First, in addition to the penalty for the conviction, the individual must pay restitution to cover the cost of federal policing during the protest. Second, the individual is ineligible for pandemic unemployment assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2021
This resolution honors Officers Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood of the U.S. Capitol Police, and it commends the bravery and service demonstrated by officers of the U.S. Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, and the other law enforcement agencies and protective entities that assisted in responding to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2021
Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act This bill prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from awarding family planning grants to entities that perform abortions or provide funding to other entities that perform abortions. To receive a grant, an entity must certify it will refrain from those activities during the grant period. The bill provides exceptions for abortions (1) in cases of rape or incest; or (2) when the life of the woman is in danger due to a physical disorder, injury, or illness. It also exempts hospitals unless they provide funds to non-hospital entities that provide abortions. HHS must report annually on this prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2021
Exposing the Financing of Human Trafficking Act This bill modifies the minimum standard for foreign government action toward the elimination of human trafficking. Specifically, an assessment of whether a government has made serious and sustained efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking must include consideration as to whether the government vigorously investigates, seeks to prevent, and prosecutes financial crimes associated with this trafficking.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2021
Improving Confidence in Veterans' Care Act This bill prescribes oversight requirements for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regarding health care professionals at VA medical centers. Specifically, the bill requires the VA to ensure each VA medical center consistently compiles, verifies, and reviews specified documentation for each VA health care professional (including contractors). The VA shall ensure that specified health care professionals hold an active Drug Enforcement Administration registration. Each VA medical center must implement (1) monitoring of the performance and quality of the health care delivered by each health care professional at the center, and (2) reviews of such care if an individual notifies the VA of any potential concerns relating to a failure to meet generally accepted standards of clinical practice. The bill imposes notification requirements in situations where the VA substantiates a concern relating to the clinical competency of, or quality of care delivered by, a current or former VA health care professional. The VA is prohibited from entering into a settlement agreement relating to an adverse action against a VA health care professional if such agreement includes terms that require the VA to conceal certain information from the employee's personnel file. Such prohibition does not apply to adverse actions determined to be prohibited personnel practices. The VA must provide mandatory training, at least biannually, to employees of each medical center who are responsible for specified tasks (e.g., those who are responsible for compiling, validating, or reviewing the credentials of VA health care professionals).
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2021
Women's Public Health and Safety Act This bill allows a state to exclude from participation in the state's Medicaid program a provider that performs an abortion, unless (1) the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or (2) the woman suffers from a physical issue that would place her in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. Under current law, a state plan for medical assistance must provide that any individual eligible for medical assistance may obtain required services from any provider qualified to perform them.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Social Security Fairness Act of 2021 This bill repeals provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, such as a pension from a state or local government. The bill eliminates the government pension offset , which in various instances reduces Social Security survivors' benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receive government pensions of their own. The bill also eliminates the windfall elimination provision , which in some instances reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes. These changes are effective for benefits payable after December 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment limiting Representatives to three terms and Senators to two terms. Terms beginning before the ratification of this amendment do not count towards these term limits.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting total outlays for a fiscal year from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year unless Congress authorizes the excess by a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber. The prohibition excludes outlays for repayment of debt principal and receipts derived from borrowing. The amendment requires roll call votes of (1) three-fifths of each chamber of Congress to increase the public debt limit, and (2) a majority of each chamber for legislation increasing revenue. It also requires the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually. Congress is authorized to waive these requirements when a declaration of war is in effect or if the United States is engaged in a military conflict which causes an imminent and serious military threat to national security.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution to require that the Supreme Court consist of nine Justices.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Birthright Citizenship Act of 2021 This bill limits birthright citizenship by redefining what it means to be subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Currently, a person born in the United States and subject to U.S. jurisdiction is entitled to citizenship. Under the bill, a person is subject to U.S. jurisdiction if he or she is born to a parent who is (1) a U.S. citizen or national, (2) a lawful permanent resident residing in the United States, or (3) an alien performing active service in the Armed Forces. The bill does not affect the citizenship or nationality status of any person born before the bill's enactment date.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Jurists United to Stop Trafficking Imitation Child Exploitation Act of 2021 or the JUSTICE Act of 2021 This bill broadens the prohibition on importation or transportation of obscene materials. Specifically, the bill makes it a crime to import, or knowingly use a common carrier or interactive computer service to transport, a child sex doll.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Hearing Protection Act This bill removes silencers from the definition of firearms for purposes of the National Firearms Act. It also treats persons acquiring or possessing a firearm silencer as meeting any registration and licensing requirements of such Act. The Department of Justice must destroy certain records relating to the registration, transfer, or making of a silencer. The bill also revises the definitions of firearm silencer and firearm muffler under the federal criminal code and includes such items in the 10% excise tax category.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Legal Workforce Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create an electronic employment eligibility confirmation system modeled after and to replace the E-Verify system, which allows employers and recruiters to verify the immigration status of individuals. The bill also mandates the use of such a system, where currently only some employers, such as those with federal contracts, are required to use E-Verify. The bill specifies documents that can establish an individual's identity and employment authorization. During the period starting when a job offer is made until three business days after hiring, the individual must attest to his or her employment authorization, and the employer or recruiter must attest that it has examined the individual's required documents. Employers shall reverify certain types of employees who were not previously verified using E-verify. The Social Security Administration shall notify employees if their Social Security number has been used multiple times in an unusual manner. DHS shall establish programs for blocking and suspending misused numbers. Employers that are required to use the verification system shall not be liable for any employment-related action based on a good-faith reliance on the information from the system. The bill establishes a phased-in participation deadline for different categories of employers, including agricultural employers. The bill increases civil penalties related to hiring individuals without work authorization. It also preempts state laws relating to hiring and employment eligibility verification, but states may use their authority of business licensing to penalize employers for failing to comply with the bill's provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act This bill establishes a federal statutory framework to regulate the carry or possession of concealed firearms across state lines. Specifically, an individual who is eligible to carry a concealed firearm in one state may carry or possess a concealed handgun (other than a machine gun or destructive device) in another state that allows its residents to carry concealed firearms. It sets forth requirements for the lawful concealed carry across state lines. The bill preempts most state and local laws related to concealed carry and establishes a private right of action for a person adversely affected by interference with a concealed-carry right established by this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Protecting Life in Crisis Act This bill specifies that federal funds allocated for COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) response efforts may not, in general, be used for abortions. Current law generally prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions through language included in appropriations bills, such as the Hyde Amendment. The bill also restricts the use of federal tax credits or other federal funding for health insurance coverage if the coverage includes abortions.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2021 This bill establishes requirements regarding audits of certain financial agencies performed by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Specifically, the bill directs the GAO to complete, within 12 months, an audit of the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve banks. In addition, the bill allows the GAO to audit the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve banks with respect to (1) international financial transactions; (2) deliberations, decisions, or actions on monetary policy matters; (3) transactions made under the direction of the Federal Open Market Committee; and (4) discussions or communications among Federal Reserve officers, board members, and employees regarding any of these matters.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2020
Terminating Heavy Regulations to Invigorate a Vibrant Economy Act or the THRIVE Act This bill exempts from congressional review specified deregulatory rules (e.g., final rules with total costs less than zero that reduce costs by repealing or revising an existing rule).
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2020
Commitment to American Security Act This bill enacts specified legislation related to law enforcement and national security, including legislation (1) allowing a qualified individual to carry a concealed handgun into or possess a concealed handgun in another state that allows individuals to carry concealed firearms; and (2) containing provisions related to border security, cybersecurity, and transportation security.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2020
Child Tax Credit for Pregnant Moms Act of 2020 This bill expands the child tax credit to allow a credit for an unborn child. The bill defines an "unborn child" as a member of the species homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb. The credit may be claimed for the year immediately preceding the year of the child's birth, if the child is born alive on or before the due date for tax returns for the year. In certain cases in which a child is not taken into account for the credit for the year immediately preceding the year of the child's birth, the bill doubles the amount of the credit allowed for the year of the birth.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2020
This resolution supports the designation of National Co-Op Month, commends the cooperative business model for its contributions to the economy, and expresses confidence in cooperatives to continue their successes.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2020
Energy Poverty Prevention and Accountability Act This bill addresses energy poverty (i.e., insufficient access to affordable energy) in at-risk communities. An at-risk community is a community that is low-income, minority, rural, elderly, or Native American. The Department of the Interior must submit to Congress a report that (1) identifies barriers to the ability of at-risk communities that live on or near federal land or tribal land to access reliable and affordable energy, including how the presence of adequate energy transmission infrastructure affects such access; and (2) recommends actions that it and the Forest Service may take to reduce such barriers. The Congressional Budget Office must report how a bill or resolution will affect the cost of energy for at-risk communities. The Government Accountability Office must (1) analyze federal energy and environmental laws and regulations, and state renewable portfolio standards, to determine how such laws, regulations, and standards affect electricity prices, home heating prices, gasoline prices, motor vehicle prices, natural gas prices, and household appliance prices in at-risk communities; and (2) develop criteria to determine whether an at-risk community is experiencing energy poverty. The Office of Management and Budget must review each applicable energy regulation to determine if any regulation imposes, relative to the general population, disproportionate costs on at-risk communities.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2020
Informed Consent Act This bill establishes a new criminal offense for knowingly performing an abortion or sterilization procedure without obtaining informed consent, unless the procedure is necessary to save an individual's life or otherwise prevent substantial impairment of a major bodily function. An individual who performs these procedures absent informed consent is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2020
This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution to prevent any act that increases the number of justices on the Supreme Court from taking effect for 10 years following its enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2020
Rural Broadband Expansion Act of 2020 This bill authorizes a recipient of amounts from the Coronavirus Relief Fund to use such amounts to expand or improve infrastructure in rural areas for the provision of broadband internet access service. The Department of the Treasury makes payments from the Coronavirus Relief Fund to states, tribal governments, and local governments for costs related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2020
Coronavirus Relief Fund Flexibility Act of 2020 This bill allows states to determine how to spend remaining Coronavirus Relief Fund amounts. The bill prohibits funds from being spent on government employee bonuses, lobbying expenses, or budget shortfalls that existed prior to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), while providing a 50% match for funds spent on transportation projects begun in the next year. It requires states to hold 25% of their remaining relief funds in trust for future COVID-19 expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2020
Women's Public Health and Safety Act This bill allows a state to exclude from participation in the state's Medicaid program a provider that performs an abortion, unless (1) the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or (2) the woman suffers from a physical issue that would place her in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. (Under current law, a state plan for medical assistance must provide that any individual eligible for medical assistance may obtain required services from any provider qualified to perform them.)
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2020
Saving American History Act of 2020 This bill prohibits the use of federal funds by an elementary or secondary school to teach the 1619 Project or by a local educational agency (LEA) to support its teaching in public schools. (The 1619 Project is an initiative that addresses the beginning of slavery in the United States.) Additionally, an elementary or secondary school that teaches this project or an LEA that supports its teaching in public schools is ineligible to receive federal funds for professional development. Further, the Departments of Education, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services must reduce federal funds in a prorated amount to an elementary or secondary school that teaches this project or an LEA that supports its teaching in public schools. However, federal funding shall not be reduced for programs for low-income students (e.g., free or reduced-price lunch) or students with disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2020
This resolution supports the announcements of (1) the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain, and (2) the suspension of Israeli actions to apply sovereignty in parts of the West Bank. Further, it calls on each of these countries to encourage greater people-to-people normalization, and it calls on other Arab and Muslim countries to establish full relations with Israel. It also reaffirms the House of Representatives' support for a negotiated, two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2020
Agricultural Intelligence Measures Act or the AIM Act This bill establishes the Office of Intelligence in the Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the National Intelligence Program. The office must leverage the capabilities of the intelligence community and the intelligence-related research of the National Laboratories to ensure that USDA is fully informed of threats by foreign actors to U.S. agriculture; focus on understanding foreign efforts to steal U.S. agriculture knowledge and technology and develop or implement biological warfare attacks, cyber or clandestine operations, or other means of sabotaging and disrupting U.S. agriculture; conduct or facilitate intelligence briefings for USDA; operate as the liaison between USDA and the intelligence community, with the authority to request intelligence collection and analysis on matters related to U.S. agriculture; collaborate with the intelligence community to downgrade intelligence assessments for broader dissemination within USDA; and facilitate sharing information on foreign activities related to agriculture with the intelligence community.
United States · United States Congress · 28 August 2020
Support Peaceful Protest Act This bill requires an individual who is convicted of a federal offense related to the individual's conduct (e.g., rioting) during the course of a protest to pay the cost of federal policing activity during the protest. In addition, such an individual is ineligible for pandemic unemployment assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 28 August 2020
This concurrent resolution (1) recognizes the 130 years of significant and meaningful contributions the 1890 Institutions (i.e., historically Black universities established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890) have made to the United States, (2) supports the efforts of the Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies to build stronger partnerships with such institutions, and (3) commits to working in a bipartisan way to address the past funding and program inequities of such institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 14 August 2020
Chinese Research Funds Accounting Act This bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study on federal funding made available to entities located in China or majority owned or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party for research in the five years prior to enactment of this bill. Not later than 120 days after the enactment of this bill, the GAO shall brief Congress on the data that is available with respect to federal funding made available to such entities for research.
United States · United States Congress · 14 August 2020
David Dorn Act of 2020 This bill increases criminal penalties for rioting and related acts, such as inciting or organizing a riot. Specifically, this bill increases the maximum term of imprisonment for such offenses from 5 to 10 years. Additionally, if a fine is imposed for an offense, the bill sets a minimum fine amount of $1,000.
United States · United States Congress · 14 August 2020
This bill increases certain criminal penalties for assaulting, resisting, or otherwise interfering with a federal officer or employee who is performing official duties.
United States · United States Congress · 14 August 2020
This resolution recognizes that federal law enforcement, federal property, and citizens' rights must be protected. The resolution strongly condemns the violence, destruction, crimes, and terrorism throughout our nation and urges justice, order, and domestic tranquility to be restored immediately. Finally, the resolution urges the Department of Justice to prosecute all individuals engaged in these activities to the fullest extent of the law.
United States · United States Congress · 11 August 2020
End Taxpayer Funding of Gender Experimentation Act of 2020 This bill modifies provisions relating to federal funding for, and health insurance coverage of, gender reassignment medical interventions, which include surgical remedies and hormone therapy arising from a conflict between an individual's gender identity and the sex the individual has or was identified as having at birth. Specifically, the bill prohibits the use of federal funds for gender reassignment medical interventions or for health coverage that includes such interventions. Additionally, such interventions may not be provided in a federal health care facility or by a federal employee. Under current law, coverage of these interventions through Medicare and Medicaid is generally determined at the state level. The bill's restrictions regarding the use of federal funds do not apply to treatment of individuals with medically verifiable disorders of sex development, such as individuals born with atypical development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex. The bill also prohibits qualified health plans from including coverage for gender reassignment medical interventions. Further, plans that include coverage for such interventions are not eligible for federal subsidies.
United States · United States Congress · 11 August 2020
Protecting Children From Experimentation Act of 2020 This bill establishes a new criminal offense for performing gender reassignment medical interventions on minors. It also provides that a minor who receives such an intervention may bring a civil action against each person who performed that intervention. The bill defines these interventions as certain surgeries or the use of hormones to change the body of an individual to correspond to a sex that is discordant with the individual's biological sex. It excludes, however, interventions in cases where an individual has ambiguous external biological sex characteristics or where a physician has determined that an individual does not have normal sex chromosome structure, sex steroid hormone production, or sex steroid hormone action. An individual who performs these interventions on a minor is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. A minor who receives these medical interventions may not be arrested or prosecuted for an offense under this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2020
Emergency Assistance for Safe Elections Act or the EASE Act This bill directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to make payments to assist states with administering elections during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. Further, it establishes a specified technology committee and unit within the EAC to address the security of election technology. It also makes a state ineligible to receive certain funding for elections unless it generally prohibits the knowing collection and transmission of a ballot in a federal election that was mailed to another person (commonly referred to as ballot harvesting).
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2020
Equal Opportunity First Amendment Act This bill requires states and local governments to enforce orders limiting public gatherings under emergency declarations equally. Specifically, the bill (1) prohibits states and units of local government that issue orders that limit gatherings to a certain number of people pursuant to a national emergency or similar state emergency declaration from discriminating in the enforcement of such order, in the case of persons who are exercising a right protected under the First Amendment; and (2) authorizes a private right of action in U.S. district court by a person who is harmed by a violation of this provision.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2020
The American PPE Supply Chain Integrity Act This bill requires the federal government to purchase medical supplies and personal protective equipment from the United States, with exceptions for small purchases. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to purchase specified medical supplies (including disinfecting wipes and natural fiber products) and personal protective equipment (including surgical masks, face shields, and foot coverings) from products that are 100% grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the United States. The bill makes an exception for purchases for amounts not greater than $150,000. The bill applies the Berry Amendment (which requires the Department of Defense to give preference in procurement to domestically produced, manufactured, or home-grown products) to specified supplies and equipment, such as surgical dressing materials, hospital and surgical clothing, and textile medical supplies and equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2020
Nuclear Prosperity and Security Act This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish and operate a uranium reserve to ensure the availability of uranium mined in the United States in the event of a market disruption and support strategic fuel cycle capabilities in the United States. Uranium that is mined in the United States by an entity that is owned or controlled by the Russian Federation or the People's Republic of China or is incorporated in either country must be excluded from the reserve. DOE must publish a request for information to evaluate (1) how to operate and manage the reserve, (2) how to acquire uranium for the reserve, and (3) the quantity and form of uranium to acquire for the reserve. DOE must also include in its budget materials (1) a request for amounts for the acquisition, transportation, or storage of uranium in the reserve; or (2) an explanation for why such amounts are not requested.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2020
Abortion Providers Loan Elimination Act This bill modifies the Paycheck Protection Program, established to support small businesses in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), by making any individual or entity that provides abortions ineligible to receive a paycheck protection loan. An exception is allowed for abortions performed at hospitals or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or endangers the life of the mother. The Inspector General of the Small Business Administration must investigate and report on the number of paycheck protection loans made to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and other individuals or entities that provide abortions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2020
This bill requires the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and any affiliates thereof to return any amounts received under the Paycheck Protection Program established to support small businesses in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).