Title: To authorize supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2020 for community development block grants, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
This bill authorizes additional grants under the Community Development Block Grant program for states and local governments to prevent, prepare for, or respond to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public-health emergency.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6358 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6358

   To authorize supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2020 for 
      community development block grants, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 23, 2020

  Mr. Lynch introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To authorize supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2020 for 
      community development block grants, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS.

    (a) Funding and Allocations.--
            (1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated $12,000,000,000 for assistance in accordance 
        with this section under the community development block grant 
        program under title I of the Housing and Community Development 
        Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.).
            (2) Initial allocation.--$6,000,000,000 of the amount made 
        available pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be distributed 
        pursuant to section 106 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5306) to 
        grantees and such allocations shall be made within 30 days 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act.
            (3) Subsequent allocation.--
                    (A) In general.--The $6,000,000,000 made available 
                pursuant to paragraph (1) that remains after allocation 
                pursuant to paragraph (2) shall be allocated, not later 
                than 45 days after the date of the enactment of this 
                Act, directly to States to prevent, prepare for, and 
                respond to coronavirus within the State, including 
                activities within entitlement and nonentitlement 
                communities, based on public health needs, risk of 
                transmission of coronavirus, number of coronavirus 
                cases compared to the national average, and economic 
                and housing market disruptions, and other factors, as 
                determined by the Secretary, using best available data.
                    (B) Technical assistance.--Of the amount referred 
                to in subparagraph (A), $10,000,000 shall be made 
                available for capacity building and technical 
                assistance to support the use of such amounts to 
                expedite or facilitate infectious disease response.
            (4) Direct distribution.--Of the amount made available 
        pursuant to paragraph (1), $3,000,000,000 shall be distributed 
        directly to States and units of general local government, at 
        the discretion of the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
        Development (in this section referred to as the ``Secretary''), 
        according to a formula based on factors to be determined by the 
        Secretary, prioritizing risk of transmission of coronavirus, 
        number of coronavirus cases compared to the national average, 
        and economic and housing market disruptions resulting from 
        coronavirus.
            (5) Rolling allocations.--Allocations under this subsection 
        may be made on a rolling basis as additional needs develop and 
        data becomes available.
            (6) Best available data.--The Secretary shall make all 
        allocations under this subsection based on the best available 
        data at the time of allocation.
    (b) Eligible Activities.--Amounts made available pursuant to 
subsection (a) may be used only for--
            (1) eligible activities described in 105(a) of the Housing 
        and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5305(a)) 
        relating to preventing, preparing for, or responding to the 
        public health emergency relating to Coronavirus Disease 2019 
        (COVID-19); and
            (2) reimbursement of costs for such eligible activities 
        relating to preventing, preparing for, or responding to 
        Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) that were accrued before 
        the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Inapplicability of Public Services Cap.--The limitation under 
paragraph (8) of section 105(a) of the Housing and Community 
Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5305(a)(8)) on the amount that may 
be used for activities under such paragraph shall not apply with 
respect to--
            (1) amounts made available pursuant to subsection (a); and
            (2) amounts made available in preceding appropriation Acts 
        for fiscal years 2019 and 2020 for carrying out title I of the 
        Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, to the extent 
        such amounts are used for activities described in subsection 
        (b) of this section.
    (d) Waivers.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may waive, or specify 
        alternative requirements for, any provision of any statute or 
        regulation that the Secretary administers in connection with 
        the use of amounts made available pursuant to subsection (a)(1) 
        and for fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (except for requirements 
        related to fair housing, nondiscrimination, labor standards, 
        and the environment), if the Secretary finds that good cause 
        exists for the waiver or alternative requirement and such 
        waiver or alternative requirement would not be inconsistent 
        with the overall purpose of title I of the Housing and 
        Community Development Act of 1974, including for the purposes 
        of addressing the impact of coronavirus.
            (2) Notice.--The Secretary shall notify the public through 
        the Federal Register or other appropriate means 5 days before 
        the effective date of any such waiver or alternative 
        requirement in order for such waiver or alternative requirement 
        to take effect. Such public notice may be provided on the 
        internet at the appropriate government website or through other 
        electronic media, as determined by the Secretary.
    (e) Statements of Activities; Comprehensive Housing Affordability 
Strategies.--
            (1) Inapplicability of requirements.--Section 116(b) of 
        such Act (42 U.S.C. 5316(b); relating to submission of final 
        statements of activities not later than August 16 of a given 
        fiscal year) and any implementing regulations shall not apply 
        to final statements submitted in accordance with paragraphs (2) 
        and (3) of section 104 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5304(a)) and 
        comprehensive housing affordability strategies submitted in 
        accordance with section 105 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National 
        Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12705) for fiscal years 2019 
        and 2020.
            (2) New requirements.--Final statements and comprehensive 
        housing affordability strategies shall instead be submitted not 
        later than August 16, 2021.
            (3) Amendments.--Notwithstanding subsections (a)(2), 
        (a)(3), and (c) of section 104 of the Housing and Community 
        Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5304) and section 105 of the 
        Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 
        12705), a grantee may not be required to amend its statement of 
        activities in order to engage in activities to prevent, 
        prepare, and respond to coronavirus or the economic and housing 
        disruption caused by it, but shall make public a report within 
        180 days of the end of the crisis which fully accounts for such 
        activities.
    (f) Public Hearings.--
            (1) Inapplicability of in-person hearing requirements.--A 
        grantee may not be required to hold in-person public hearings 
        in connection with its citizen participation plan, but shall 
        provide citizens with notice and a reasonable opportunity to 
        comment of not less than 15 days.
            (2) Virtual public hearings.--During the period that 
        national or local health authorities recommend social 
        distancing and limiting public gatherings for public health 
        reasons, a grantee may fulfill applicable public hearing 
        requirements for all grants from funds made available pursuant 
        to subsection (a)(1) and under the heading ``Department of 
        Housing and Urban Development--Community Planning and 
        Development--Community Development Fund'' in appropriation Acts 
        for fiscal years 2019 and 2020 by carrying out virtual public 
        hearings. Any such virtual hearings shall provide reasonable 
        notification and access for citizens in accordance with the 
        grantee's certifications, timely responses from local officials 
        to all citizen questions and issues, and public access to all 
        questions and responses.
    (g) Duplication of Benefits.--The Secretary shall ensure there are 
adequate procedures in place to prevent any duplication of benefits as 
defined by section 312 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5155) and act in accordance with 
section 1210 of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 (division D of 
Public Law 115-254; 132 Stat. 3442) and section 312 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5155).
                                 <all>