I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7317 

To authorize a public service announcement campaign on the efficacy of 

cloth face coverings in reducing the spread of COVID–19, to authorize 

a program to provide cloth face coverings to any American who requests 

one free of charge, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 24, 2020 

Mr. SCHIFF (for himself, Ms. NORTON, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mrs. DINGELL, 

Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. CASTEN of Illinois, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. GRIJALVA, 

Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. SIRES, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. 

GALLEGO, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Mr. GARCI ́A

of Illinois, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Mr. COOPER, Mr. SOTO, 

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. COHEN, Mr. VELA, Ms. HAALAND, Mr. 

PAYNE, Ms. WILD, and Ms. SCANLON) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To authorize a public service announcement campaign on 

the efficacy of cloth face coverings in reducing the spread 

of COVID–19, to authorize a program to provide cloth 

face coverings to any American who requests one free 

of charge, and for other purposes. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Masks Work Act of 

3 2020’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) The SARS–CoV–2 virus has killed over 

7 110,000 Americans and infected at least 2,000,000 

8 others. 

9 (2) The measures taken to contain the virus, in10 cluding social distancing and stay at home orders, 

11 have resulted in a significant economic disruption, 

12 causing tens of millions of Americans to lose jobs 

13 and income. 

14 (3) Scientific experts, including Dr. Anthony 

15 Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy 

16 and Infectious Diseases, have warned of the danger 

17 of a second wave of infections striking the United 

18 States in fall and winter. 

19 (4) Scientific experts within the United States 

20 Government and elsewhere have strongly advised 

21 Americans to wear cloth face coverings as a means 

22 to slow the spread of COVID–19 and have stated 

23 that wearing cloth face coverings may reduce the 

24 spread of respiratory droplets that may carry the 

25 disease. 


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1 (5) There is a growing body of scientific re2 search indicating that high levels of cloth face cov3 ering adoption by a population can reduce trans4 mission of the virus, and may prevent asymptomatic 

5 or presymptomatic carriers from unknowingly infect6 ing others. 

7 (6) One scientific model estimated that if 80 

8 percent of the population adopted proper face covering use, transmission would be 1 9 ⁄12 what it would 

10 be in a population without wearing cloth face cov11 erings. Another newly released study conducted with 

12 animals found that face coverings reduced trans13 mission of COVID–19 by 75 percent. 

14 (7) Nations in Southeast Asia with high levels 

15 of cloth face covering wearing have been more effec16 tive than others in reducing the spread of COVID– 

17 19, and have experienced comparably fewer infec18 tions and deaths as a result. 

19 (8) A recent study from the University of 

20 Iowa’s College of Public Health suggests that the 15 

21 States and the District of Columbia, having man22 dated wearing face coverings in public between April 

23 8, 2020, and May 15, 2020, averted as many as 

24 230,000 to 450,000 COVID–19 cases. 


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1 (9) Many Americans have heeded the calls of 

2 public health experts to wear cloth face coverings 

3 and have made major sacrifices in other aspects of 

4 their life in order to control the spread of the virus. 

5 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

6 It is the sense of Congress that — 

7 (1) following the consensus advice of public 

8 health experts to wear face coverings can meaning9 fully reduce transmission rates for COVID–19, re10 sulting in fewer deaths, fewer Americans made seri11 ously ill, and lower economic disruption; 

12 (2) Americans should wear appropriate face 

13 coverings in situations where social distancing is dif14 ficult or impossible, particularly in indoors environ15 ments, both to protect themselves and to protect 

16 older Americans or others with health conditions 

17 that increase the risks of serious illness due to 

18 COVID–19; and 

19 (3) leaders across the political spectrum should 

20 model medically recommended behaviors by wearing 

21 face coverings appropriately and encouraging those 

22 around them to do the same. 

23 SEC. 4. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT CAMPAIGN. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Centers for 

25 Disease Control and Prevention (in this section referred 


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1 to as the ‘‘Director’’) shall carry out a public service an2 nouncement campaign campaign on television, radio, the 

3 internet, and digital platforms, and in print publications, 

4 informing Americans on— 

5 (1) the efficacy of cloth face coverings; and 

6 (2) why cloth face coverings are recommended 

7 by scientific and medical experts to reduce the 

8 spread of COVID–19. 

9 (b) AUDIENCE.—In carrying out the campaign under 

10 subsection (a), the Director shall ensure that public serv11 ice announcements reach as many Americans as possible 

12 with scientifically accurate messages about cloth face cov13 erings. 

14 (c) LANGUAGE.—The Director shall ensure that pub15 lic service announcements under this section are provided 

16 in at least 19 languages in addition to English, including 

17 the following: 

18 (1) Spanish. 

19 (2) Arabic. 

20 (3) Cambodian. 

21 (4) Chinese. 

22 (5) Haitian Creole. 

23 (6) French. 

24 (7) Hindi. 

25 (8) Italian. 


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1 (9) Japanese. 

2 (10) Korean. 

3 (11) Laotian. 

4 (12) Russian. 

5 (13) Tagalog. 

6 (14) Urdu. 

7 (15) Vietnamese. 

8 (16) Greek. 

9 (17) Polish. 

10 (18) Thai. 

11 (19) Portuguese. 

12 (d) GRANTS AND CONTRACTS.—In carrying out the 

13 campaign under subsection (a), the Director may, subject 

14 to the availability of appropriations, award grants to, and 

15 enter into contracts with, public and private entities (in16 cluding nonprofit organizations). 

17 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

18 out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated 

19 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2020 and 

20 2021, to remain available until expended. 

21 SEC. 5. CLOTH FACE COVERINGS FOR ALL. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap23 propriations, the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

24 (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall carry 

25 out a program to provide cloth face coverings to any 


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1 American who requests one free of charge by United 

2 States mail. 

3 (b) REQUESTS.—In carrying out this section, the 

4 Secretary shall establish procedures allowing Americans to 

5 request up to three cloth face coverings per person in their 

6 household through the internet, by mail, or by phone (in7 cluding text messaging). 

8 (c) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall consult 

9 with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 

10 Prevention, the Director of the National Institutes of 

11 Health, and the heads of other agencies as appropriate 

12 regarding the design and selection of cloth face coverings 

13 to be provided under this section. 

14 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

15 out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated 

16 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2020 and 

17 2021, to remain available until expended. 

18 SEC. 6. NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH RESEARCH ON 

19 CLOTH FACE COVERING EFFICACY. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National In21 stitutes of Health (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Di22 rector’’) shall conduct or support research on the efficacy 

23 of cloth face coverings, face shields, ventilators, and other 

24 facial coverings to reduce the spread of COVID–19. 


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1 (b) USE OF FUNDS.—Research under this section 

2 may include— 

3 (1) research on the effect of wearing cloth face 

4 coverings on the spread of the virus that causes 

5 COVID–19; 

6 (2) research on the situations for which cloth 

7 face coverings are scientifically indicated; 

8 (3) research on the most effective materials or 

9 designs of cloth face coverings; and 

10 (4) other topics as the Director determines ap11 propriate. 

12 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

13 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 

14 $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2022, 

15 to remain available until expended. 

Æ 


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