I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7921 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 

to community-based nonprofit organizations to operate navigator programs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 31, 2020 

Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Oversight and Reform 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

to award grants to community-based nonprofit organizations to operate navigator programs, 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 ‘‘Connecting Commu5 nities to Grant Opportunities Act of 2020’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS 

2 PROVIDING CERTAIN SERVICES AS A RESULT 

3 OF PANDEMIC-RELATED PROGRAMS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 

5 Human Services, in collaboration with the Secretary of 

6 Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Labor, 

7 and the Administrator of the Small Business Administra8 tion, shall award grants to community-based nonprofit or9 ganizations to operate a navigator program. 

10 (b) NAVIGATOR PROGRAMS.—A navigator program 

11 shall consist of recruiting, training, assigning, and employ12 ing eligible navigators to facilitate application for, or pro13 curement of, eligible benefits during the emergency period, 

14 including by performing any of the following: 

15 (1) Acting as contacts, including by assisting in 

16 the application for any eligible benefit provided to 

17 individuals, families, or small business concerns. 

18 (2) Screening individuals, families, or small 

19 business concerns that are potentially eligible, but 

20 currently not receiving, an eligible benefit. 

21 (3) Coordinating with appropriate Federal 

22 agencies to distribute materials relating to eligible 

23 benefits. 

24 (4) Conducting ongoing outreach to populations 

25 regarding eligible benefits. 


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1 (c) APPLICATION.—To seek a grant under this sec2 tion, a community-based nonprofit organization shall sub3 mit an application to the Secretary— 

4 (1) containing such agreements, assurances, 

5 and information, and submitted in such form and 

6 manner, as the Secretary may require; 

7 (2) including a complete description of the or8 ganization’s plan for the operation of a navigator 

9 program, including— 

10 (A) a description of the training program 

11 to be implemented for navigator personnel; 

12 (B) a plan for publicizing the availability 

13 of the navigator services to be provided; 

14 (C) a plan for providing service to non15 English speaking persons seeking navigator 

16 services that— 

17 (i) is based on data from the Bureau 

18 of the Census, is consistent with the demo19 graphics of the local areas where the navi20 gator program will operate, and outlines 

21 which languages are most prevalent and 

22 commonly requested in such areas for 

23 translation services; or 

24 (ii) is based on qualitative and quan25 titative observation from community servVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:19 Aug 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7921.IH H7921

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1 ice providers, including providers of health 

2 and mental health services, social services, 

3 transportation, and other relevant commu4 nity services; and 

5 (D) a plan for facilitating access to naviga6 tors by persons with hearing impairments; 

7 (3) explaining the organization’s inability to op8 erate the navigator program without Federal assist9 ance; and 

10 (4) providing assurances that the organization 

11 will, to the extent practicable, seek, recruit, and hire 

12 navigators who are members of racial and ethnic mi13 nority groups and women in order to increase diver14 sity within the navigator program. 

15 (d) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec16 tion, the Secretary shall give priority to applicants that 

17 demonstrate— 

18 (1) an intent to provide navigator programs in 

19 or serving residents living in a qualified census tract, 

20 as defined in section 42(d)(5)(B)(ii)(I) of the of the 

21 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 

22 42(d)(5)(B)(ii)(I)); and 

23 (2) that the applicant has previous experience 

24 in providing services to such residents. 


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1 (e) RENEWAL OF GRANTS.—The Secretary may 

2 renew a grant to a community-based nonprofit organiza3 tion under this section, without limitations on the duration 

4 of such renewal, if the organization demonstrates that it— 

5 (1) has used the funds provided to it under this 

6 section in accordance with its approved application; 

7 and 

8 (2) has made progress in achieving the objec9 tives specified in the approved application. 

10 (f) NO-COST EXTENSIONS.—Notwithstanding sub11 section (e), the Secretary may extend the period of a grant 

12 under this section, without limitations as to the duration 

13 of such extension, to provide additional time to complete 

14 the objectives of the grant award. 

15 (g) SUSPENSION OF FUNDS IN CERTAIN CASES.—If 

16 the Secretary determines that the recipient of a grant 

17 under this section is not in substantial compliance with 

18 the terms and requirements of the grant agreement, the 

19 Secretary may revoke or suspend funding for the grant, 

20 in whole or in part. 

21 (h) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 

22 shall be construed to limit a community-based nonprofit 

23 organization from receiving a grant under this section for 

24 a population otherwise served by such organization with 

25 other Federal funds. 


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1 (i) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.— 

2 (1) GRANTEE REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not 

3 later than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year 

4 for which a grantee receives a grant under this sec5 tion, the grantee shall submit to the Secretary a re6 port that contains an evaluation of the results of the 

7 activities, including financial expenditures, made 

8 during such fiscal year to carry out the program for 

9 which the grant is received. 

10 (2) ANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not 

11 later than January 1 following the end of each fiscal 

12 year for which funds are appropriated to carry out 

13 this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress 

14 a report describing the progress achieved through 

15 programs funded through grants under this section 

16 for the preceding fiscal year. 

17 (j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

18 (1) The term ‘‘eligible benefit’’ means any ben19 efit under any of the following Acts (including the 

20 amendments made by such Acts): 

21 (A) The Coronavirus Preparedness and 

22 Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 

23 2020 (Public Law 116–123). 

24 (B) The Families First Coronavirus Re25 sponse Act (Public Law 116–127). 


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1 (C) The CARES Act (Public Law 116– 

2 136). 

3 (D) The Paycheck Protection Program and 

4 Health Care Enhancement Act (Public Law 

5 116–139). 

6 (E) Paycheck Protection Program Flexi7 bility Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–142). 

8 (2) The term ‘‘eligible navigator’’ means a navi9 gator with direct knowledge of the communities to 

10 be served. 

11 (3) The term ‘‘emergency period’’ means the 

12 period beginning on January 31, 2020, and ending 

13 on the date that is 12 months after the later of— 

14 (A) the end of any emergency or disaster 

15 declared by the President pursuant to the Na16 tional Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et 

17 seq.) or the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 

18 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 

19 et seq.) with respect to SARS–CoV–2 or an20 other coronavirus with pandemic potential (in21 cluding any renewals thereof); and 

22 (B) the end of any emergency declared by 

23 the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

24 pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health 

25 Service Act with respect to SARS–CoV–2 or 


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1 another coronavirus with pandemic potential 

2 (including any renewals thereof). 

3 (4) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

4 of Health and Human Services. 

5 (k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

6 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated to 

7 carry out this section $100,000,000 for each of fiscal year 

8 2021 and fiscal year 2022, to remain available until ex9 pended. 

Æ 


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