Direct Support for Communities Act

To provide funding for cities, counties, and other units of general local government to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Direct Support for Communities Act 2. Supplemental appropriations The following sums are hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes, namely: Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Planning and Development Community Development Fund For an additional amount for the Community Development Fund (1) 50 percent shall be allocated to metropolitan cities and other units of general local government (as those terms are defined in section 102 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 ( 42 U.S.C. 5302 (A) 70 percent of such sums shall be distributed, not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, pursuant to the formula under section 106(b)(1) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 ( 42 U.S.C. 5306(b)(1) (B) 30 percent of such sums shall be distributed, not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, to States (as defined in such section 102) for use by units of general local government, other than counties or parishes, in nonentitlement areas (as defined in such section 102) of the State, in amounts equal to the relative sum of the populations of such units of general local government in a State as a proportion of the total population of all such units of general local government in all States: Provided Provided further 42 U.S.C. 5306(d)(1) (2) 50 percent shall be distributed, not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, directly to counties and parishes of States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, in amounts equal to the relative sum of the populations of the counties and parishes in a State or such other jurisdiction as a proportion of the total population of all the counties and parishes in all States and such other jurisdictions: Provided Provided further 42 U.S.C. 5302 42 U.S.C. 5306(b) Provided further Provided further Provided further Provided further Provided further Provided further Provided further Provided further 42 U.S.C. 5301 Provided further

Summary: Direct Support for Communities Act This bill provides FY2020 supplemental appropriations to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to award additional Community Development Block Grants to units of local government and counties to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19). Specifically, within 30 days, HUD must distribute 50% of such funds to metropolitan cities and other units of local government and 50% to counties and parishes. Such funds may be used to cover costs or replace lost, delayed, or decreased revenues stemming from the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. In addition, the funds are designated as an emergency requirement, which exempts the funds from discretionary spending limits and other budget enforcement rules.