II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3740 

To assist older Americans and people with disabilities affected by COVID– 

19. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 14, 2020 

Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. BROWN, Mr. JONES, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. VAN

HOLLEN, Ms. HARRIS, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. REED, Mr. MARKEY, and 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL) introduced the following bill; which was read twice 

and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To assist older Americans and people with disabilities 

affected by COVID–19. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘COVID–19 Recovery for Seniors and People with Dis6 abilities Act of 2020’’. 

7 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

8 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

TITLE I—SOCIAL SECURITY 


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Sec. 101. Definitions. 

Sec. 102. Pausing continuing disability reviews during the COVID–19 public 

health emergency. 

Sec. 103. Pausing all collection of overpayments during the COVID–19 public 

health emergency. 

Sec. 104. Pausing all suspension of benefits for failure to cooperate during the 

COVID–19 public health emergency. 

Sec. 105. Update in eligibility thresholds for supplemental security income; 

elimination of marriage penalty. 

Sec. 106. Elimination of Social Security disability and Medicare waiting periods. 

Sec. 107. Support and maintenance furnished in kind not included as income 

for purposes of SSI. 

Sec. 108. Suspension of certain regulations. 

Sec. 109. Discharge of student loans. 

Sec. 110. Elimination of separate account requirement for past-due supplemental security income benefits paid to child beneficiaries. 

Sec. 111. Increasing the substantial gainful activity limit. 

Sec. 112. State grants to protect the legal rights of SSI and SSDI applicants 

and beneficiaries. 

Sec. 113. Social security assistance and representation grants. 

TITLE II—MEDICARE 

Sec. 201. Fairness in Medicare enrollment and coverage periods. 

Sec. 202. Permitting an attestation of employment-based health insurance coverage during the COVID–19 public health emergency. 

Sec. 203. Suspension of the Medicare part D low-income subsidy asset test. 

TITLE III—MEDICAID 

Sec. 301. Suspension of asset test for medical assistance for Medicare cost 

sharing during COVID–19 emergency period. 

Sec. 302. Temporary increase of Medicaid FMAP for medicare cost-sharing. 

Sec. 303. Delay in reduction of FMAP for medicaid personal care services furnished without an electronic visit verification system. 

TITLE IV—AGRICULTURE 

Sec. 401. Commodity supplemental food program. 

TITLE V—SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS 

Sec. 501. COVID–19 public awareness campaign. 

Sec. 502. Senior legal assistance; services for older individuals with limited 

English proficiency. 

Sec. 503. Information and translation through statewide independent councils. 

1 TITLE I—SOCIAL SECURITY 

2 SEC. 101. DEFINITIONS. 

3 In this title: 


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1 (1) COMMISSIONER.—The term ‘‘Commis2 sioner’’ means the Commissioner of Social Security. 

3 (2) COVID–19 EMERGENCY PERIOD.—The 

4 term ‘‘COVID–19 emergency period’’ means the pe5 riod of months— 

6 (A) beginning with the first month that be7 gins on or after the date of enactment of this 

8 Act; and 

9 (B) ending with the sixth month that be10 gins on or after the last day of the public health 

11 emergency described in section 1135(g)(1)(B) 

12 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1)(B)). 

13 SEC. 102. PAUSING CONTINUING DISABILITY REVIEWS DUR14 ING THE COVID–19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMER15 GENCY. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi17 sion of law and except as provided in subsection (b), the 

18 Commissioner shall not conduct any continuing disability 

19 review (as such term is defined in section 201(g)(1)(A) 

20 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401(g)(1)(A))) dur21 ing the COVID–19 emergency period. 

22 (b) EXCEPTION FOR CDR APPEALS.—Subsection (a) 

23 shall not apply to a continuing disability review that— 

24 (1) is in progress on the date of enactment of 

25 this Act; and 


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1 (2) is being conducted pursuant to an appeal by 

2 an individual of an adverse decision of the Commis3 sioner with respect to the individual’s eligibility for 

4 benefits under title II or XVI of the Social Security 

5 Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq., 1381 et seq.), or the 

6 amount of such benefits for which the individual is 

7 eligible. 

8 SEC. 103. PAUSING ALL COLLECTION OF OVERPAYMENTS 

9 DURING THE COVID–19 PUBLIC HEALTH 

10 EMERGENCY. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi12 sion of law and except as provided in subsection (b), dur13 ing the COVID–19 emergency period, the Commissioner 

14 shall not make any downward adjustment to a benefit 

15 amount payable to an individual under title II or XVI of 

16 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq., 1381 et 

17 seq.), or take any other action, for the purpose of col18 lecting an overpayment made to such individual. 

19 (b) EXCEPTION FOR FRAUD.—Subsection (a) shall 

20 not apply to any downward adjustment or any other action 

21 with respect to a benefit amount payable to an individual 

22 under title II or XVI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

23 401 et seq., 1381 et seq.) if such adjustment is made, or 

24 such action taken, on the basis that the individual is in25 volved in fraud or similar fault. 


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1 SEC. 104. PAUSING ALL SUSPENSION OF BENEFITS FOR 

2 FAILURE TO COOPERATE DURING THE 

3 COVID–19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY. 

4 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, during 

5 the COVID–19 emergency period, the Commissioner shall 

6 not suspend, modify, or terminate an individual’s entitle7 ment to, or eligibility for, benefits under title II or XVI 

8 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq., 1381 

9 et seq.) on the basis that the individual has failed to co10 operate with a request of the Commissioner. 

11 SEC. 105. UPDATE IN ELIGIBILITY THRESHOLDS FOR SUP12 PLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME; ELIMI13 NATION OF MARRIAGE PENALTY. 

14 (a) UPDATE IN GENERAL INCOME EXCLUSION.— 

15 Section 1612(b)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 

16 U.S.C. 1382a(b)(2)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘$240’’ 

17 and inserting ‘‘$1,476 (increased as described in section 

18 1617(d) for each calendar year after 2020)’’. 

19 (b) UPDATE IN EARNED INCOME EXCLUSION.—Sec20 tion 1612(b)(4) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1382a(b)(4)) is 

21 amended by striking ‘‘$780’’ each place it appears and 

22 inserting ‘‘$4,788 (increased as described in section 

23 1617(d) for each calendar year after 2020)’’. 

24 (c) UPDATE IN RESOURCE LIMIT FOR INDIVIDUALS

25 AND COUPLES.—Section 1611(a)(3) of such Act (42 

26 U.S.C. 1382(a)(3)) is amended— 


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1 (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘$2,250’’ 

2 and all that follows through the end of the subpara3 graph and inserting ‘‘$20,000 in calendar year 

4 2020, and shall be increased as described in section 

5 1617(d) for each subsequent calendar year.’’; and 

6 (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘$1,500’’ 

7 and all that follows through the end of the subpara8 graph and inserting ‘‘$10,000 in calendar year 

9 2020, and shall be increased as described in section 

10 1617(d) for each subsequent calendar year.’’. 

11 (d) INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.—Section 1617 of such 

12 Act (42 U.S.C. 1382f) is amended— 

13 (1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘; IN14 FLATION ADJUSTMENT’’ after ‘‘BENEFITS’’; and 

15 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(d)(1) In the case of any calendar year after 2020, 

17 each of the amounts specified in sections 1611(a)(3), 

18 1612(b)(2)(A), and 1612(b)(4) shall be increased by mul19 tiplying each such amount by the quotient obtained by di20 viding— 

21 ‘‘(A) the average of the Consumer Price 

22 Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI–E, as pub23 lished by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the 

24 Department of Labor) for the 12-month period 


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1 ending with September of the preceding cal2 endar year, by 

3 ‘‘(B) such average for the 12-month period 

4 ending with September 2019. 

5 ‘‘(2) In no case shall the application of para6 graph (1) result in a reduction to the amounts speci7 fied in such paragraph.’’. 

8 (e) REPEAL OF MARRIAGE PENALTY.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1611(b)(2) of the 

10 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382f(b)(2)) is 

11 amended by striking ‘‘payable at the rate of’’ and all 

12 that follows through the end of the paragraph and 

13 inserting ‘‘payable— 

14 ‘‘(A) for calendar years 1974 through 2019, at 

15 the rate of $2,628 (or, if greater, the amount deter16 mined under section 1617); and 

17 ‘‘(B) for calendar year 2020 and any calendar 

18 year thereafter, at twice the rate applicable for such 

19 calendar year under paragraph (1) for an individual 

20 who does not have an eligible spouse, 

21 reduced by the amount of income, not excluded pursuant 

22 to section 1612(b), of such individual and spouse.’’. 

23 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

24 1617(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

25 1382(a)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘subsections 


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1 (a)(1)(A), (a)(2)(A), (b)(1), and (b)(2)’’ and insert2 ing ‘‘subsections (a)(1)(A), (a)(2)(A), and (b)(1)’’. 

3 (f) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

4 this section shall take effect on the date of enactment of 

5 this Act, and shall apply to eligibility determinations 

6 made, and benefit amounts payable, under title XVI of 

7 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.) on or 

8 after such date. 

9 SEC. 106. ELIMINATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY 

10 AND MEDICARE WAITING PERIODS. 

11 (a) TEMPORARY ELIMINATION OF WAITING PERIODS

12 FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS AND RAIL13 ROAD RETIREMENT ACT DISABILITY BENEFITS.—During 

14 the period that begins on the date of enactment of this 

15 Act and ends on the last day of the sixth month that be16 gins on or after the last day of the public health emer17 gency described in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Se18 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1)(B))— 

19 (1) section 202(e)(5) of the Social Security Act 

20 (42 U.S.C. 402(e)(5)) shall be applied by striking 

21 subparagraphs (A) and (B) and inserting the fol22 lowing: ‘‘The waiting period referred to in paragraph 

23 (1)(F), in the case of any widow or surviving di24 vorced wife, is zero months.’’; 


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1 (2) section 202(f)(5) of the Social Security Act 

2 (42 U.S.C. 402(f)(5)) shall be applied by striking 

3 subparagraphs (A) and (B) and inserting the fol4 lowing: ‘‘The waiting period referred to in paragraph 

5 (1)(F), in the case of any widower or surviving di6 vorced husband, is zero months.’’; 

7 (3) section 223(c)(2) of the Social Security Act 

8 (42 U.S.C. 423(c)(2)) shall be applied by sub9 stituting ‘‘zero months.’’ for ‘‘the earliest period of 

10 five consecutive calendar months’’ and all that fol11 lows through the period; and 

12 (4) section 5(a)(ii) of the Railroad Retirement 

13 Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231c(a)(ii)) shall be applied 

14 by striking ‘‘the of (A)’’ and all that follows through 

15 ‘‘(B)’’. 

16 (b) TEMPORARY ELIMINATION OF MEDICARE WAIT17 ING PERIOD.—For purposes of applying section 226 of the 

18 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 426) to any individual dur19 ing the period described in subsection (a), the following 

20 special rules apply: 

21 (1) Subsection (b) of such section shall be ap22 plied as if there were no requirement for any entitle23 ment to benefits, or status, for a period longer than 

24 1 month. 


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1 (2) The entitlement under such subsection shall 

2 begin with the first month (rather than twenty-fifth 

3 month) of entitlement or status. 

4 (3) Subsection (f) of such section shall not be 

5 applied. 

6 (c) RULES OF APPLICATION.— 

7 (1) SCOPE OF APPLICATION.—The provisions of 

8 the Social Security Act and the Railroad Retirement 

9 Act of 1974 specified in subsections (a) and (b) shall 

10 be applied in the manner described in such sub11 sections with respect to any individual— 

12 (A) for whom a waiting period under such 

13 provision began before the date of enactment of 

14 this Act; and 

15 (B) for whom a waiting period under such 

16 a provision begins on or after such date of en17 actment. 

18 (2) EFFECT OF APPLICATION.—An individual 

19 with respect to whom a waiting period under a pro20 vision specified in subsection (a) or (b) does not 

21 apply as a result of the application of such sub22 section shall, for purposes of applying such provision 

23 to such individual after the end of the period de24 scribed in subsection (a), be deemed to have met the 

25 waiting period requirement under such provision. 


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1 SEC. 107. SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE FURNISHED IN 

2 KIND NOT INCLUDED AS INCOME FOR PUR3 POSES OF SSI. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1612(a)(2) of such Act 

5 (42 U.S.C. 1382a(a)(2)) is amended— 

6 (1) by inserting ‘‘(other than support or main7 tenance furnished in kind)’’ after ‘‘all other income’’; 

8 and 

9 (2) in subparagraph (A)— 

10 (A) by striking ‘‘or kind’’; 

11 (B) by striking clause (i) and redesig12 nating clauses (ii) and (iii) as clauses (i) and 

13 (ii), respectively; and 

14 (C) in clause (ii) (as so redesignated), by 

15 striking ‘‘and the provisions of clause (i) shall 

16 not be applicable’’. 

17 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

18 (1) Section 1611(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

19 1382(c)) is amended by striking paragraph (6) and 

20 redesignating paragraphs (7) through (10) as para21 graphs (6) through (9), respectively. 

22 (2) Section 1612(a)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

23 1382a(a)(2)) is amended— 

24 (A) in subparagraph (F), by inserting 

25 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 


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1 (B) in subparagraph (G), by striking ‘‘; 

2 and’’ and inserting a period; 

3 (C) by moving subparagraph (G) 2 ems to 

4 the right; and 

5 (D) by striking subparagraph (H). 

6 (3) Section 1621(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

7 1382j(c)) is amended to read as follows: 

8 ‘‘(c) In determining the amount of income of an alien 

9 during the period of 5 years after such alien’s entry into 

10 the United States, support or maintenance furnished in 

11 cash to the alien by such alien’s sponsor (to the extent 

12 that it reflects income or resources which were taken into 

13 account in determining the amount of income and re14 sources to be deemed to the alien under subsection (a) 

15 or (b) of this section) shall not be considered to be income 

16 of such alien under section 1612(a)(2)(A).’’. 

17 SEC. 108. SUSPENSION OF CERTAIN REGULATIONS. 

18 During the COVID–19 emergency period, the Com19 missioner shall not promulgate or revise (and shall sus20 pend any activities related to the promulgation or revision 

21 of) any regulation relating to— 

22 (1) the frequency of continuing disability re23 views under title II or XVI of the Social Security 

24 Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq., 1381 et seq.); 


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1 (2) the authority of administrative appeals 

2 judges of the Social Security Administration; or 

3 (3) the medical-vocational guidelines for deter4 mining whether an individual is disabled for pur5 poses of title II or XVI of the Social Security Act. 

6 SEC. 109. DISCHARGE OF STUDENT LOANS. 

7 (a) FFEL LOANS AND FEDERAL DIRECT LOANS.— 

8 Section 437(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 

9 U.S.C. 1087(a)) is amended— 

10 (1) by redesignating paragraph (3) as para11 graph (4); and 

12 (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol13 lowing: 

14 ‘‘(3) MINE DISABILITY DETERMINATIONS.— 

15 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A student borrower 

16 whom the Commissioner of Social Security has 

17 classified as ‘medical improvement not expected’ 

18 for purposes of entitlement to benefits under 

19 title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

20 401 et seq.) on the basis of a disability— 

21 ‘‘(i) shall be considered permanently 

22 and totally disabled for the purpose of dis23 charging such borrower’s loans under this 

24 subsection; and 


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1 ‘‘(ii) shall not be required to present 

2 additional documentation for purposes of 

3 this subsection. 

4 ‘‘(B) PROCEDURES.—The Secretary and 

5 the Commissioner of Social Security shall joint6 ly develop procedures through which the Com7 missioner shall, on not less than a quarterly 

8 basis, provide the Secretary with such informa9 tion regarding individuals who are classified as 

10 ‘medical improvement not expected’ for pur11 poses of entitlement to benefits under title II of 

12 the Social Security Act on the basis of a dis13 ability as the Secretary shall require for pur14 poses of carrying out this paragraph. 

15 ‘‘(C) OPT-OUT PROCESS.—After receiving 

16 information regarding a borrower from the 

17 Commissioner under subparagraph (B), the 

18 Secretary shall— 

19 ‘‘(i) identify whether the individual 

20 has any loans under this title; 

21 ‘‘(ii) if the individual is a student bor22 rower of a loan described in subparagraph 

23 (A) or (B) of section 428(a)(1), or a loan 

24 under part D, notify the borrower, in writ25 ing, that— 


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1 ‘‘(I) the borrower qualifies for 

2 discharge under this section based on 

3 the determination of the Commis4 sioner; 

5 ‘‘(II) unless the borrower re6 quests otherwise within 30 days after 

7 receiving the notification under sub8 clause (I), the Secretary shall dis9 charge the borrower’s liability on the 

10 loan in accordance with the require11 ments of this section; and 

12 ‘‘(III) there may be tax implica13 tions to the borrower for a discharge 

14 under this paragraph; and 

15 ‘‘(iii) if the borrower does not opt out 

16 of the discharge under this paragraph by 

17 the date specified in the notice, discharge 

18 the borrower’s liability on the loan, in ac19 cordance with the requirements of this sec20 tion. 

21 ‘‘(D) GRACE PERIOD.—Any borrower who 

22 receives a discharge under this paragraph may, 

23 during the 1-year period immediately following 

24 the discharge, request that the Secretary reVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:01 Jun 05, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3740.IS S3740

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1 store the loan and reverse the discharge without 

2 suffering any penalty. 

3 ‘‘(E) TREATMENT OF CERTAIN REAS4 SIGNED INDIVIDUALS.—An individual who is 

5 classified by the Commissioner of Social Secu6 rity as ‘medical improvement not expected’ for 

7 purposes of entitlement to benefits under title 

8 II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et 

9 seq.) on the basis of a disability and who is sub10 sequently reclassified for such purposes as a re11 sult of changes to the standards or procedures 

12 under which the Commissioner makes such clas13 sifications— 

14 ‘‘(i) shall, notwithstanding such re15 classification, be considered permanently 

16 and totally disabled for the purpose of dis17 charging such borrower’s loans under this 

18 subsection; and 

19 ‘‘(ii) shall, notwithstanding such re20 classification, not be required to present 

21 additional documentation for purposes of 

22 this subsection.’’. 

23 (b) PERKINS LOANS.—Section 464(c) of the Higher 

24 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087dd(c)) is amended 

25 by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(8)(A) A student borrower whom the Commissioner 

2 of Social Security has classified as ‘medical improvement 

3 not expected’ for purposes of entitlement to benefits under 

4 title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) 

5 on the basis of a disability— 

6 ‘‘(i) shall be considered permanently and totally 

7 disabled for the purpose of cancelling such bor8 rower’s loans under paragraph (1)(F); and 

9 ‘‘(ii) shall not be required to present additional 

10 documentation for purposes of paragraph (1)(F). 

11 ‘‘(B) The Secretary and the Commissioner of Social 

12 Security shall jointly develop procedures through which 

13 the Commissioner shall, on not less than a quarterly basis, 

14 provide the Secretary with such information regarding in15 dividuals who are classified as ‘medical improvement not 

16 expected’ for purposes of entitlement to benefits under 

17 title II of the Social Security Act on the basis of a dis18 ability as the Secretary shall require for purposes of car19 rying out this paragraph. 

20 ‘‘(C) After receiving information regarding a bor21 rower from the Commissioner under subparagraph (B), 

22 the Secretary shall— 

23 ‘‘(i) identify whether the individual has any 

24 loans under this part; 


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1 ‘‘(ii) if the individual is a student borrower of 

2 a loan under this part, notify the borrower, in writ3 ing, that— 

4 ‘‘(I) the borrower qualifies for cancellation 

5 under this subsection based on the determina6 tion of the Commissioner; 

7 ‘‘(II) unless the borrower requests other8 wise within 30 days after receiving the notifica9 tion under subclause (I), the Secretary shall 

10 cancel the borrower’s liability on the loan in ac11 cordance with the requirements of this sub12 section; and 

13 ‘‘(III) there may be tax implications to the 

14 borrower for a loan cancellation under this 

15 paragraph; and 

16 ‘‘(iii) if the borrower does not opt out of the 

17 cancellation under this paragraph by the date speci18 fied in the notice, cancel the borrower’s liability on 

19 the loan, in accordance with the requirements of this 

20 subsection. 

21 ‘‘(D) Any borrower who receives a cancellation under 

22 this paragraph may, during the 1-year period immediately 

23 following the cancellation, request that the Secretary re24 store the loan and reverse the cancellation without suf25 fering any penalty.’’. 


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1 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

2 subsections (a) and (b) shall take effect on the date that 

3 is 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act. 

4 SEC. 110. ELIMINATION OF SEPARATE ACCOUNT REQUIRE5 MENT FOR PAST-DUE SUPPLEMENTAL SECU6 RITY INCOME BENEFITS PAID TO CHILD 

7 BENEFICIARIES. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1631(a)(2)(F) of the So9 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1383(a)(2)(F)) is amended— 

10 (1) in clause (i)(I), by striking ‘‘Each rep11 resentative payee’’ and inserting ‘‘Subject to clause 

12 (v), each representative payee’’; and 

13 (2) by adding at the end the following clause: 

14 ‘‘(v) Beginning on the date of enact15 ment of this clause, the requirements of 

16 clause (i) shall cease to be effective, and 

17 any amounts maintained in an account es18 tablished on behalf of an individual under 

19 clause (i) shall be subject to the same re20 quirements, and may be used in the same 

21 manner, as monthly benefits payable to 

22 such an individual under this title.’’. 

23 (b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Amounts transferred 

24 into the account of an individual pursuant to subsection 

25 (a) shall not be taken into account as income or resources 


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1 of such individual for purposes of determining the eligi2 bility of such individual or any other individual for benefits 

3 or assistance, or the amount or extent of such benefits 

4 or assistance, under title XVI of the Social Security Act 

5 (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.), under any other Federal pro6 gram, or under any State or local program financed in 

7 whole or in part with Federal funds. 

8 SEC. 111. INCREASING THE SUBSTANTIAL GAINFUL ACTIV9 ITY LIMIT. 

10 Section 223(d)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 

11 U.S.C. 423(d)(4)) is amended— 

12 (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking the second 

13 sentence; and 

14 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub15 paragraphs: 

16 ‘‘(D)(i) Earnings derived from services shall 

17 demonstrate an individual’s ability to engage in sub18 stantial gainful activity when the amount of such 

19 earnings exceeds, on a monthly basis— 

20 ‘‘(I) for calendar year 2020, $2,400; and 

21 ‘‘(II) for any calendar year after 2020, 

22 subject to clause (ii), an amount equal to 

23 $2,400 multiplied by the quotient obtained by 

24 dividing— 


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1 ‘‘(aa) the national average wage index 

2 (as defined in section 209(k)(1)) for the 

3 12-month period ending with September of 

4 such preceding calendar year; by 

5 ‘‘(bb) the national average wage index 

6 (as so defined) for the 12-month period 

7 ending with September 2019. 

8 ‘‘(ii) In no case shall the amount determined 

9 for a calendar year under subclause (II) of clause (i) 

10 be less than the amount that applied under this sub11 paragraph for the preceding calendar year.’’. 

12 SEC. 112. STATE GRANTS TO PROTECT THE LEGAL RIGHTS 

13 OF SSI AND SSDI APPLICANTS AND BENE14 FICIARIES. 

15 Title XI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1301 

16 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 1150B the 

17 following new section: 

18 ‘‘SEC. 1150C. STATE GRANTS TO PROTECT THE LEGAL 

19 RIGHTS OF SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY AND 

20 DISABILITY INSURANCE APPLICANTS AND 

21 BENEFICIARIES. 

22 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commissioner may make 

23 payments in each State to the protection and advocacy 

24 system established pursuant to part C of title I of the De25 velopmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act 


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1 for the purpose of protecting the legal rights of bene2 ficiaries with a disability. 

3 ‘‘(b) SERVICES PROVIDED.—Services provided to 

4 beneficiaries with a disability pursuant to a payment made 

5 under this section may include— 

6 ‘‘(1) information and advice about accessing 

7 and applying for benefits under title II or title XVI 

8 on the basis of a disability and appealing eligibility 

9 decisions with respect to such benefits; 

10 ‘‘(2) advocacy and other services that a bene11 ficiary with a disability may need related to such 

12 benefits; and 

13 ‘‘(3) services described in section 1150(b). 

14 ‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—In order to receive payments 

15 under this section, a protection and advocacy system shall 

16 submit an application to the Commissioner, at such time, 

17 in such form and manner, and accompanied by such infor18 mation and assurances as the Commissioner may require. 

19 ‘‘(d) AMOUNT OF PAYMENTS.— 

20 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the amount ap21 propriated for a fiscal year for making payments 

22 under this section, a protection and advocacy system 

23 shall not be paid an amount that is less than— 

24 ‘‘(A) in the case of a protection and advo25 cacy system located in one of the 50 States, the 


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1 District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico, $200,000; 

2 and 

3 ‘‘(B) in the case of a protection and advo4 cacy system located in Guam, American Samoa, 

5 the United States Virgin Islands, or the Com6 monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 

7 $100,000. 

8 ‘‘(2) INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.—For each fiscal 

9 year in which the total amount appropriated to carry 

10 out this section exceeds the total amount appro11 priated to carry out this section in the preceding fis12 cal year, the Commissioner shall increase each min13 imum payment under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of 

14 paragraph (1) by a percentage equal to the percent15 age increase in the total amount so appropriated to 

16 carry out this section. 

17 ‘‘(e) ANNUAL REPORT.—Each protection and advo18 cacy system that receives a payment under this section 

19 shall submit an annual report to the Commissioner on the 

20 services provided to individuals by the system. 

21 ‘‘(f) FUNDING.— 

22 ‘‘(1) ALLOCATION OF PAYMENTS.—Payments 

23 under this section shall be made from amounts made 

24 available for the administration of title II and 

25 amounts made available for the administration of 


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1 title XVI, and shall be allocated among those 

2 amounts as appropriate. 

3 ‘‘(2) CARRYOVER.—Any amounts allotted for 

4 payment to a protection and advocacy system under 

5 this section for a fiscal year shall remain available 

6 for payment to or on behalf of the protection and 

7 advocacy system until the end of the succeeding fis8 cal year. 

9 ‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

10 ‘‘(1) BENEFICIARY WITH A DISABILITY.—The 

11 term ‘beneficiary with a disability’ means an indi12 vidual who— 

13 ‘‘(A) is a title II disability beneficiary or a 

14 title XVI disability beneficiary (as such terms 

15 are defined under section 1148(k)); or 

16 ‘‘(B) is an applicant or prospective appli17 cant for benefits under title II or title XVI on 

18 the basis that such individual has a disability. 

19 ‘‘(2) COMMISSIONER.—The term ‘Commis20 sioner’ means the Commissioner of Social Security. 

21 ‘‘(3) PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY SYSTEM.— 

22 The term ‘protection and advocacy system’ means a 

23 protection and advocacy system established pursuant 

24 to part C of title I of the Developmental Disabilities 

25 Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. 


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1 ‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

2 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

3 $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.’’. 

4 SEC. 113. SOCIAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE AND REPRESEN5 TATION GRANTS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—For each fiscal year during the 

7 5-year period beginning with fiscal year 2020, the Com8 missioner shall award not less than 10 grants under this 

9 section to community-based organizations for the purpose 

10 of assisting beneficiaries with disabilities— 

11 (1) during the process of applying for benefits 

12 under title II or XVI of the Social Security Act (42 

13 U.S.C. 401 et seq., 1381 et seq.) on the basis of a 

14 disability; 

15 (2) any appeals processes before the Commis16 sioner, an administrative judge of the Social Secu17 rity Administration, or a State Disability Determina18 tion Services office; and 

19 (3) in accessing such benefits. 

20 (b) GRANT REQUIREMENTS.— 

21 (1) DURATION AND AMOUNT OF GRANTS.—A 

22 grant awarded to a community-based organization 

23 under this section— 

24 (A) shall be for an amount that is not less 

25 than $500,000; and 


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1 (B) shall be for a period of 5 years. 

2 (2) USE OF FUNDS.—Grant funds shall only be 

3 used for a purpose described in subsection (a). 

4 (c) APPLICATION.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—To receive a grant under 

6 this section, a community-based organization shall 

7 submit an application to the Commissioner, at such 

8 time and in such form and manner and accompanied 

9 by such information and assurances as the Commis10 sioner may require. 

11 (2) REQUIRED INFORMATION.—An application 

12 for a grant under this section shall include the fol13 lowing information: 

14 (A) The region to be served by the appli15 cant. 

16 (B) A description of the needs of bene17 ficiaries with a disability in such region. 

18 (C) A description of services to be provided 

19 under such grant. 

20 (D) The personnel that would provide such 

21 services. 

22 (E) The applicant’s plan for disseminating 

23 awareness of the services provided under the 

24 grant to beneficiaries with a disability in the re25 gion. 


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1 (3) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.—An 

2 application for a grant under this section shall in3 clude a memorandum of understanding among any 

4 collaborating entities as to roles and allocation of 

5 grant funds for each collaborating agency. 

6 (4) ASSURANCE OF AVAILABILITY.—An applica7 tion for a grant under this section shall include a 

8 commitment by the applicant that all services pro9 vided under the grant, including information about 

10 such services, shall be accessible to beneficiaries with 

11 a disability. 

12 (d) DEFINITIONS.— 

13 (1) BENEFICIARY WITH A DISABILITY.—The 

14 term ‘‘beneficiary with a disability’’ has the meaning 

15 given such term in section 1150C of the Social Secu16 rity Act (as added by section 112). 

17 (2) COMMISSIONER.—The term ‘‘Commis18 sioner’’ means the Commissioner of Social Security. 

19 (3) COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION.—The 

20 term ‘‘community-based organization’’ means a non21 profit agency or collaboration of non-profit agencies 

22 that— 

23 (A) serves a region of one or more States; 

24 (B) includes— 


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1 (i) a legal team of lawyers licensed to 

2 practice in the State or States served by 

3 the organization; 

4 (ii) experts in disability benefits pro5 vided under title II and XVI of the Social 

6 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq., 1381 

7 et seq.), including application, and appeals 

8 procedures under such titles; and 

9 (iii) individuals currently receiving 

10 benefits on the basis of a disability under 

11 such a title, or who were beneficiaries 

12 under such a title on the basis of a dis13 ability within the past 5 years; and 

14 (C) is overseen by a board or advisory 

group composed of at least 1 15 ⁄3 members who are 

16 current or former beneficiaries on the basis of 

17 a disability under title II or XVI of the Social 

18 Security Act. 

19 (4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the 50 

20 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the 

21 Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the 

22 Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. 

23 (e) APPROPRIATION.—There is appropriated to the 

24 Commissioner, for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024, 

25 $15,000,000 for the purpose of carrying out this section. 


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1 (f) REPORTS.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—Each community-based or3 ganization that receives a grant under this sections 

4 shall provide the Commissioner with— 

5 (A) for each year of the grant period, an 

6 annual report on the services provided; and 

7 (B) at the conclusion of the grant period, 

8 a final report of activities provided under the 

9 grant. 

10 (2) EVALUATION GRANT.—From the adminis11 trative funds of title II and title XVI, there shall be 

12 awarded an evaluation grant to an independent enti13 ty to evaluate the impact of the grants under this 

14 section. The amount to be awarded to the evaluation 

15 entity shall be at least $500,000 for each of the 5 

16 years of the grant period and at least $500,000 for 

17 the 2 years following the grant period. 

18 TITLE II—MEDICARE 

19 SEC. 201. FAIRNESS IN MEDICARE ENROLLMENT AND COV20 ERAGE PERIODS. 

21 (a) ELIMINATION OF MEDICARE COVERAGE GAPS

22 FOR NEW ENROLLEES.—In the case of an individual who 

23 enrolled under part A of title XVIII of the Social Security 

24 Act during the general enrollment period under section 

25 1818 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i–2) or enrolled under 


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1 part B of such title during the general enrollment period 

2 under section 1837(e) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395p(e)), 

3 the following shall apply: 

4 (1) COVERAGE PERIOD.—Notwithstanding sub5 section (c) of such section 1818 and subsection 

6 (a)(2)(E) of section 1838 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

7 1395q), such individual’s coverage period under such 

8 sections 1818 and 1838 shall begin on April 1, 

9 2020, rather than on July 1, 2020. 

10 (2) INSTALLMENT PLAN FOR RETROACTIVE

11 PREMIUM PAYMENTS.—Notwithstanding subsection 

12 (d) of such section 1818 and section 1839 of such 

13 Act (42 U.S.C. 1395r), if the individual is required 

14 to make any back payments of the monthly premium 

15 under such subsection (d) or such section 1839 by 

16 reason of the retroactive coverage period under para17 graph (1), the Secretary of Health and Human 

18 Services shall permit the individual, if requested by 

19 the individual, to pay such back payments in install20 ments, as determined by the Secretary. 

21 (b) SPECIAL PART B OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD

22 RELATING TO THE COVID–19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMER23 GENCY.— 


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1 (1) ENROLLMENT.—Section 1837 of the Social 

2 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395p) is amended by add3 ing at the end the following new subsection: 

4 ‘‘(m) SPECIAL OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD RELAT5 ING TO THE COVID–19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.— 

6 In the case of any individual who is eligible to enroll but 

7 who has elected not to enroll (or to be deemed enrolled) 

8 under this part, there shall be a special enrollment period 

9 during the emergency period described in section 

10 1135(g)(1)(B).’’. 

11 (2) COVERAGE PERIOD.—Section 1838 of the 

12 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395q) is amended 

13 by adding at the end the following new subsection: 

14 ‘‘(g) Notwithstanding subsection (a), in the case of 

15 an individual who enrolls during a special enrollment pe16 riod pursuant to section 1837(m), the coverage period 

17 under this part shall begin on the date the individual ap18 plied for such enrollment (but in no case earlier than Jan19 uary 31, 2020).’’. 

20 (3) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

21 1839(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

22 1395r(b)) is amended, in the first sentence, by strik23 ing ‘‘or (l)’’ and inserting ‘‘(l), or (m)’’. 


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1 SEC. 202. PERMITTING AN ATTESTATION OF EMPLOYMENT2 BASED HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE DUR3 ING THE COVID–19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMER4 GENCY. 

5 Subsection (b) of section 1839 of the Social Security 

6 Act (42 U.S.C. 1395r) is amended by inserting the fol7 lowing after the second sentence: ‘‘With respect to enroll8 ments under this part during the emergency period de9 scribed in section 1135(g)(1)(B), for purposes of dem10 onstrating enrollment in a group health plan or a large 

11 group health plan for a period of time under the preceding 

12 sentence, the Secretary shall accept an attestation from 

13 an individual regarding the individual’s coverage during 

14 such period in lieu of the individual providing otherwise 

15 required documentation.’’. 

16 SEC. 203. SUSPENSION OF THE MEDICARE PART D LOW-IN17 COME SUBSIDY ASSET TEST. 

18 Section 1860D–14(a)(3) of the Social Security Act 

19 (42 U.S.C. 1395w–114(a)(3)) is amended— 

20 (1) in subparagraph (A)(iii), by striking 

21 ‘‘meets’’ and inserting ‘‘subject to subparagraph 

22 (H), meets’’; and 

23 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub24 paragraph: 

25 ‘‘(H) SUSPENSION OF THE ASSET TEST.— 

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1 actment of this subparagraph and ending on 

2 December 31 of the year following the year that 

3 includes the date of the end of the emergency 

4 period described in section 1135(g)(1)(B), sub5 paragraph (A) shall be applied without regard 

6 to clause (iii) of such subparagraph.’’. 

7 TITLE III—MEDICAID 

8 SEC. 301. SUSPENSION OF ASSET TEST FOR MEDICAL AS9 SISTANCE FOR MEDICARE COST SHARING 

10 DURING COVID–19 EMERGENCY PERIOD. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—During the period described in 

12 subsection (b), for purposes of determining eligibility for 

13 medical assistance for medicare cost-sharing under section 

14 1902(a)(10)(E) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

15 1396a(a)(10)(E)))— 

16 (1) subsection (p)(1) of section 1905 of the So17 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d) shall be applied 

18 by disregarding subparagraph (C) of such sub19 section; and 

20 (2) subsection (s) of such section shall be ap21 plied by disregarding paragraph (3) of such sub22 section. 

23 (b) COVID–19 EMERGENCY PERIOD.—The period 

24 described in this subsection is the period— 


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1 (1) beginning on the date of enactment of this 

2 Act; and 

3 (2) ending with the last day of the twelfth 

4 month that begins on or after the last day of the 

5 public health emergency described in section 

6 1135(g)(1)(B) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b– 

7 5(g)(1)(B)). 

8 SEC. 302. TEMPORARY INCREASE OF MEDICAID FMAP FOR 

9 MEDICARE COST-SHARING. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi11 sion of law, for each calendar quarter occurring during 

12 the period described in section 301(b), the Federal medical 

13 assistance percentage applicable under section 1903(a) of 

14 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b(a)) for each 

15 State, including the District of Columbia, American 

16 Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto 

17 Rico, and the Virgin Islands, with respect to amounts ex18 pended by such State on medical assistance for medicare 

19 cost-sharing (as defined in section 1905(p)(3) of such Act 

20 (42 U.S.C. 1396d(p)(3))) provided during such period, 

21 shall be equal to 100 percent. 

22 (b) EXCLUSION OF ENHANCED PAYMENTS FROM

23 TERRITORIAL PAYMENT LIMITS.—To the extent that a 

24 Federal payment for medicare cost-sharing that is made 

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1 lands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands is increased 

2 pursuant to subsection (a)— 

3 (1) the limitations on payments to territories 

4 under subsections (f) and (g) of section 1108 of the 

5 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1308) shall not apply 

6 to the amount of such increase; and 

7 (2) the amount of such increase shall be dis8 regarded in applying such subsections. 

9 SEC. 303. DELAY IN REDUCTION OF FMAP FOR MEDICAID 

10 PERSONAL CARE SERVICES FURNISHED 

11 WITHOUT AN ELECTRONIC VISIT 

12 VERIFICATION SYSTEM . 

13 Section 1903(l)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 

14 U.S.C. 1396b(l)(1)) is amended— 

15 (1) by striking ‘‘January 1, 2020’’ and insert16 ing ‘‘the date that is 6 months after the end of the 

17 emergency period described in section 

18 1135(g)(1)(B)’’; and 

19 (2) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘(if appli20 cable)’’ after ‘‘percentage points’’ each place it ap21 pears. 

22 TITLE IV—AGRICULTURE 

23 SEC. 401. COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM. 

24 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) COVERED PERIOD.—The term ‘‘covered pe2 riod’’ means the period beginning on the date of en3 actment of this Act and ending on the date on which 

4 the public health emergency declared by the Sec5 retary of Health and Human Services under section 

6 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 

7 247d) on January 31, 2020, with respect to 

8 COVID–19, is terminated. 

9 (2) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means 

10 the commodity supplemental food program estab11 lished under section 4 of the Agriculture and Con12 sumer Protection Act of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note; 

13 Public Law 93–86). 

14 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

15 the Secretary of Agriculture. 

16 (b) TEMPORARY MODIFICATIONS TO PROGRAM.— 

17 (1) DELIVERY FLEXIBILITY.—Notwithstanding 

18 any other provision of law, during the covered pe19 riod, the Secretary shall permit each State and State 

20 agency to modify practices under the program to 

21 achieve contactless delivery of commodities, includ22 ing by waiving the requirement for signature from 

23 program participants at the time of delivery. 

24 (2) MONTHLY DISTRIBUTION.— 


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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 

2 other provision of law, during the covered pe3 riod, the Secretary may use appropriated funds 

4 under the program to increase by not more 

5 than 200 percent the maximum monthly quan6 tity of commodities distributed to each program 

7 participant. 

8 (B) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—The 

9 increased commodities described in subpara10 graph (A) shall supplement and not supplant 

11 the regular distribution of commodities under 

12 the program. 

13 TITLE V—SUPPLEMENTAL 

14 APPROPRIATIONS 

15 SEC. 501. COVID–19 PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN. 

16 (a) APPROPRIATIONS.— 

17 (1) FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.— 

18 There is appropriated to the Federal Communica19 tions Commission, out of any amounts in the Treas20 ury not otherwise appropriated, $25,000,000 for fis21 cal year 2020, to remain available until expended, to 

22 establish a nationwide campaign to educate the pub23 lic about COVID–19-related scams that— 

24 (A) promise or offer a cure, treatment, or 

25 test for the virus; or 


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1 (B) seek to steal money or obtain personal 

2 identifiable information from the victim. 

3 (2) FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION.—There is 

4 appropriated to the Federal Trade Commission, out 

5 of any amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appro6 priated, $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2020, to remain 

7 available until expended, to establish a nationwide 

8 campaign to educate the public about COVID–19-re9 lated scams that— 

10 (A) promise or offer a cure, treatment, or 

11 test for the virus; or 

12 (B) seek to steal money or obtain personal 

13 identifiable information from the victim. 

14 (3) INDEPENDENCE; COLLABORATION.—The 

15 Federal Communications Commission and the Fed16 eral Trade Commission— 

17 (A) shall each establish a separate nation18 wide campaign under paragraph (1) or (2), re19 spectively; and 

20 (B) shall work in conjunction to establish 

21 the nationwide campaigns described in subpara22 graph (A) of this paragraph, as appropriate. 

23 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—In conducting their respective 

24 and joint nationwide campaigns under subsection (a), the 


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1 Federal Communications Commission and the Federal 

2 Trade Commission shall— 

3 (1) conduct live webinars and tele-town halls in 

4 conjunction with relevant organizations with various 

5 constituencies on the national and local levels; 

6 (2)(A) create and publish public awareness ma7 terials describing recent scams and ways that the 

8 public can avoid falling victim; 

9 (B) post the materials described in subpara10 graph (A) to an easily noticeable location on their 

11 respective websites in various formats, including 

12 written, video, and web-interactive materials; and 

13 (C) post the materials described in subpara14 graph (A) on the website of the Federal Communica15 tions Commission or the Federal Trade Commission, 

16 as applicable, in a format that allows the materials 

17 to be easily printed, shared, or posted on external 

18 websites and social media; 

19 (3) proactively share with national and local 

20 news outlets materials or web posts created about 

21 any new scam developments; 

22 (4) conduct any other related activity in fur23 therance of efforts to make the public aware of co24 rona-virus related scams; 


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1 (5) collaborate with other Federal agencies, 

2 such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 

3 and the Food and Drug Administration, and rel4 evant State agencies, as appropriate to carry out the 

5 purposes of this subsection; 

6 (6) in their collaborations with each other and 

7 in their individual work— 

8 (A) place a special focus on making efforts 

9 to reach seniors who may not have— 

10 (i) access to information posted on the 

11 internet or web-based media; or 

12 (ii) the ability to join webinars hosted 

13 by the Federal Communications Commis14 sion or the Federal Trade Commission 

15 (independently or separately); and 

16 (B) in order to reach individuals described 

17 in subparagraph (A), partner with organiza18 tions that provide in-person services to seniors 

19 during the pandemic in order to ensure that 

20 those seniors regularly receive awareness mate21 rials about COVID–19-related scams; and 

22 (7) in order to ensure that the materials pro23 duced under this subsection are accessible to and 

24 understandable by individuals who have limited 

25 English proficiency— 


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1 (A) work to ensure that the materials are 

2 translated into non-English languages; and 

3 (B) consult with relevant stakeholder 

4 groups representing such communities on the 

5 best ways to ensure they such information is 

6 available to them. 

7 SEC. 502. SENIOR LEGAL ASSISTANCE; SERVICES FOR 

8 OLDER INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH 

9 PROFICIENCY. 

10 The following sums are hereby appropriated, out of 

11 any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 

12 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for 

13 other purposes, namely: 

14 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN 

15 SERVICES 

16 ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING

17 AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES PROGRAMS

18 For an additional amount for ‘‘Aging and Disability 

19 Services Programs’’, for carrying out the Older Americans 

20 Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.) (‘‘OAA’’), 

21 $40,000,000, to remain available through September 30, 

22 2021, which shall be for making payments under title III 

23 of the OAA (42 U.S.C. 3021 et seq.) to States with State 

24 plans approved under section 307 of the OAA (42 U.S.C. 

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1 tion 304(a) of the OAA (42 U.S.C. 3024(a)): Provided, 

2 That, of such amount appropriated under this heading, 

3 $20,000,000 shall be used to ensure that older individuals 

4 have access to legal assistance by supporting the network 

5 of statewide legal services for older individuals, including 

6 (1) maintaining legal hotlines for older individuals that are 

7 in operation on the date of enactment of this Act and ex8 panding such hotlines to all requesting States, and (2) 

9 supporting legal assistance provided under part B of title 

10 III of the OAA (42 U.S.C. 3030d et seq.): Provided fur11 ther, That, of such amount appropriated under this head12 ing, $20,000,000 shall be used to provide services to sup13 port older individuals with limited English proficiency in 

14 addressing concerns as a result of COVID–19: Provided 

15 further, That in carrying out the requirements in the sec16 ond proviso under this heading, area agencies on aging 

17 shall partner or contract with community-based organiza18 tions that provide translation and interpretation services 

19 for older individuals with limited English proficiency: Pro20 vided further, That in seeking organizations with which 

21 to enter into such partnerships or contracts, area agencies 

22 on aging shall make an effort to include organizations that 

23 assist older individuals speaking the most spoken non24 English language in the planning and service area served 

25 by the area agency on aging and older individuals speaking 


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1 the least spoken non-English language in such area: Pro2 vided further, That the services provided under the second 

3 proviso under this heading shall include services to provide 

4 older individuals with limited English proficiency with (1) 

5 the most up-to-date information on public health concerns 

6 and suggested precautions related to COVID–19 and re7 lated issues, (2) one-on-one assistance to help older indi8 viduals with limited English proficiency understand eligi9 bility requirements for available Federal, State, and local 

10 benefits and services, to translate applications and provide 

11 oral interpretations necessary to receive such benefits and 

12 services and provide oral interpretations necessary to re13 ceive such benefits and services, and to provide other sup14 portive services for such individuals to access such benefits 

15 and services, and (3) related public awareness campaigns, 

16 related to COVID–19 and related issues, in non-English 

17 languages: Provided further, That each State agency re18 ceiving funding described in the second proviso under this 

19 heading shall report to the Assistant Secretary for Aging 

20 on the number of individuals receiving the services sup21 ported by such funding, number of services provided by 

22 type, and the languages spoken by the individuals receiv23 ing such services: Provided further, That the amount ap24 propriated under this heading is designated by Congress 

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1 tion 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emer2 gency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 

3 901(b)(2)(A)(i)). 

4 SEC. 503. INFORMATION AND TRANSLATION THROUGH 

5 STATEWIDE INDEPENDENT COUNCILS. 

6 The following sums are hereby appropriated, out of 

7 any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 

8 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for 

9 other purposes, namely: 

10 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN 

11 SERVICES 

12 ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING

13 AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES PROGRAMS

14 (STATEWIDE INDEPENDENT LIVING COUNCILS)

15 For an additional amount for ‘‘Aging and Disability 

16 Services Programs’’, for carrying out title VII of the Reha17 bilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 796 et seq.), 

18 $10,000,000, to remain available through September 30, 

19 2021, which shall be for making payments under that title 

20 VII to States with State plans approved under section 704 

21 of that Act (29 U.S.C. 796c), to be distributed as de22 scribed in section 711 of that Act (29 U.S.C. 796e), to 

23 the States for Statewide Independent Living Councils to 

24 enable the Councils to support limited English proficient 

25 individuals with disabilities and individuals who are deaf 


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1 or hard of hearing (which 2 types of individuals are re2 ferred to under this heading as ‘‘covered individuals’’) in 

3 addressing concerns as a result of COVID–19 through 

4 services to provide covered individuals with (1) the most 

5 up-to-date information on public health concerns and pre6 cautions related to COVID–19 and related issues; (2) one7 on-one assistance to understand eligibility requirements 

8 for available Federal, State, and local benefits and serv9 ices, to translate applications and provide oral interpreta10 tion necessary for such individuals to receive such benefits 

11 and services, and to provide other supports for such indi12 viduals to access such benefits and services; and (3) re13 lated public awareness campaigns in languages other than 

14 English and in American Sign Language (which languages 

15 and Language are referred to under this heading as ‘‘addi16 tional languages’’): Provided, that the Councils shall pro17 vide support with funds appropriated under this heading 

18 in partnership with, or through contracts with, agencies 

19 carrying out State disability services programs or commu20 nity-based organizations that provide translation and in21 terpretation services for covered individuals: Provided fur22 ther, That in seeking agencies or organizations for such 

23 partnerships or contracts in a geographic area, a Council 

24 shall make efforts to include entities that assist covered 

25 individuals that speak the most commonly spoken addiVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:01 Jun 05, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00045 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3740.IS S3740

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1 tional languages, and entities that assist covered individ2 uals that speak the least commonly spoken additional lan3 guages, in that geographical area: Provided further, That 

4 the Councils shall report to the Administration about the 

5 number of individuals served, the number of services pro6 vided by type, and the additional languages through which 

7 services are provided, with funds appropriated under this 

8 heading: Provided further, That the amount appropriated 

9 under this heading is designated by Congress as being for 

10 an emergency requirement pursuant to section 

11 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency 

12 Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(A)(i)). 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS