I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7607 

To condition the receipt of funds with respect to COVID–19 on requiring 

the use of face coverings in public, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 13, 2020 

Ms. WILSON of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To condition the receipt of funds with respect to COVID– 

19 on requiring the use of face coverings in public, 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Masks for All Act of 

5 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The widespread use of face coverings by the 

9 public is essential to help slow the spread of the 

10 virus that causes COVID–19 and help prevent the 


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1 transmission of such virus by individuals who do not 

2 show symptoms. 

3 (2) The Government has an interest in encour4 aging the use of face coverings in public and each 

5 place of business to protect the health of populations 

6 that are at a higher risk of developing severe illness 

7 from COVID–19, including— 

8 (A) the immunocompromised; 

9 (B) individuals who are 65 years of age or 

10 older; and 

11 (C) individuals living with chronic lung dis12 ease, moderate to severe asthma, serious heart 

13 conditions, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, se14 vere obesity, or liver disease. 

15 (3) Overwhelming scientific evidence has shown 

16 that face coverings block a high portion of res17 piratory droplets that spread the virus that causes 

18 COVID–19. 

19 (4) Evidence from an international cross-dis20 ciplinary review of scientific research has shown 

21 that— 

22 (A) using a face covering in public is most 

23 effective at reducing the spread of COVID–19 

24 when compliance is high; and 


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1 (B) transmission in a community is sub2 stantially lower when individuals are required to 

3 use a face covering or where the use of a face 

4 covering is widespread. 

5 (5) The widespread use of face coverings sub6 stantially reduces the number of fatalities, the cases 

7 of severe illness, and continued economic losses that 

8 result from transmission of the virus that causes 

9 COVID–19. 

10 (6) The widespread use of face coverings is nec11 essary (but not sufficient) to slow the spread of the 

12 virus that causes COVID–19 and should be pro13 moted along with regular handwashing, social 

14 distancing, testing, and minimizing nonessential ac15 tivities outside of the household. 

16 SEC. 3. USE OF FACE COVERINGS IN PUBLIC. 

17 (a) CONDITIONAL FUNDING WITH RESPECT TO

18 FACE COVERINGS.—The Secretary of Health and Human 

19 Services (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’), act20 ing through the Director of the Centers for Disease Con21 trol and Prevention, shall require each State, territory, 

22 local government, and Tribal government to, as a condi23 tion on the receipt of COVID–19 funds and funds under 

24 a provision of a covered law, require, subject to the excep25 tions specified in subsection (b), the use of face coverings 


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1 during the emergency period in public, including in each 

2 place of business, in the respective jurisdiction. 

3 (b) EXCEPTIONS.—The exceptions specified in this 

4 subsection are that a requirement implemented pursuant 

5 to subsection (a) may not apply to— 

6 (1) outdoor spaces where individuals may main7 tain a distance of at least 6 feet from other individ8 uals who are not members of the same household; 

9 and 

10 (2) any individual who— 

11 (A) is under 2 years of age; 

12 (B) has a medical condition in which wear13 ing a face covering could obstruct the ability of 

14 the individual to breathe; 

15 (C) is unable to remove a face covering 

16 without assistance; and 

17 (D) is receiving a service that requires 

18 temporary removal of the face covering, includ19 ing a service with respect to a food or beverage. 

20 (c) GRANTS TO PROMOTE FACE COVERINGS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after 

22 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

23 may award grants to States, territories, and Tribal 

24 governments to promote access to face coverings for 

25 the purpose of minimizing the risk of exposure to 


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1 COVID–19, including installing face covering dis2 pensers in public. 

3 (2) APPLICATION.—To be eligible for a grant 

4 under this section, a State, territory, and Tribal gov5 ernment shall submit to the Secretary an application 

6 at such time, in such form, and containing such in7 formation as the Secretary determines appropriate, 

8 including a certification that the State will meet the 

9 requirements under paragraph (3). 

10 (3) USE OF FUNDS.—A State, territory, and 

11 Tribal government that receives a grant under this 

12 section shall use grant funds to promote access to 

13 face coverings for the purpose of minimizing the risk 

14 of exposure to COVID–19 in accordance with— 

15 (A) guidelines determined necessary by the 

16 Secretary; and 

17 (B) guidelines provided by the Centers for 

18 Disease Control and Prevention with respect to 

19 the use of face coverings. 

20 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

21 (1) COVERED LAW.—The term ‘‘covered law’’ 

22 means each of the following: 

23 (A) The Coronavirus Preparedness and 

24 Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 


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1 2020 (Public Law 116–123), or an amendment 

2 made by that Act. 

3 (B) The Families First Coronavirus Re4 sponse Act (Public Law 116–127), or an 

5 amendment made by that Act. 

6 (C) The CARES Act (Public Law 116– 

7 136), or an amendment made by that Act. 

8 (D) The Paycheck Protection Program and 

9 Health Care Enhancement Act (Public Law 

10 116–139), or an amendment made by that Act. 

11 (E) Other laws with respect to relief from 

12 the COVID–19 pandemic. 

13 (2) COVID–19 FUNDS.—The term ‘‘COVID–19 

14 funds’’ means funds provided to a State, territory, 

15 local government, and Tribal government through 

16 any grants or cooperative agreements for prepared17 ness and response to the COVID–19 pandemic, in18 cluding funds provided through cooperative agree19 ments with the Centers for Disease Control and Pre20 vention. 

21 (3) EMERGENCY PERIOD.—The term ‘‘emer22 gency period’’ has the meaning given that term in 

23 section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 

24 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1)(B)). 


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1 (4) FACE COVERING.—The term ‘‘face cov2 ering’’ means any material that covers the nose and 

3 mouth of an individual. 

4 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

5 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 

6 $75,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2021 through 

7 2022. 

Æ 


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