Title: UNITE Act of 2020
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
Undertaking National Initiatives to Tackle Epidemic Act of 2020 or the UNITE Act of 2020
This bill responds to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency by increasing volunteer opportunities within AmeriCorps and employment opportunities at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and requiring the re-enrollment of Peace Corps volunteers whose service ended involuntarily on March 15, 2020, or earlier for volunteers who were serving in China and Mongolia.
Among other things, the bill

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6560 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6560

   To mobilize individuals in the United States in the fight against 
    coronavirus by expanding volunteer opportunities in AmeriCorps, 
expanding employment opportunities at the Federal Emergency Management 
 Agency, and utilizing the expertise of Peace Corps volunteer leaders 
     whose service ended on March 15, 2020, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 21, 2020

Mr. Garamendi (for himself, Mr. Rush, Ms. Haaland, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. 
   Huffman, Mr. Casten of Illinois, and Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
       Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to 
      be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To mobilize individuals in the United States in the fight against 
    coronavirus by expanding volunteer opportunities in AmeriCorps, 
expanding employment opportunities at the Federal Emergency Management 
 Agency, and utilizing the expertise of Peace Corps volunteer leaders 
     whose service ended on March 15, 2020, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Undertaking National Initiatives to 
Tackle Epidemic Act of 2020'' or the ``UNITE Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The outbreak of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, 
        which causes COVID-19 (referred to in this Act as the 
        ``coronavirus''), has disrupted the lives of all individuals in 
        the United States and required enormous sacrifice. In following 
        the guidance of public health officials, individuals in the 
        United States have and can continue to play a key role in 
        defeating their common, invisible enemy.
            (2) The Corporation for National and Community Service 
        (referred to in this Act as ``CNCS''), through the health, 
        disaster, and poverty services administered by the CNCS under 
        the 3 flagship AmeriCorps programs (AmeriCorps VISTA, 
        AmeriCorps NCCC, and AmeriCorps State and National Volunteers), 
        is uniquely positioned to aid frontline workers and communities 
        most impacted by the coronavirus public health emergency if the 
        President of the United States fully mobilizes those 3 
        programs.
            (3) The Federal Emergency Management Agency (referred to in 
        this section as ``FEMA''), tasked with leading aspects of the 
        whole-of-government response to the coronavirus outbreak, is 
        reportedly understaffed of those frontline workers that are 
        essential to responding to the public health emergency.
            (4) On March 15, 2020, the Peace Corps involuntarily ended 
        the service of approximately 7,300 volunteers. Many of them 
        acquired public health skills in countries abroad, which may 
        also be applied to further service in AmeriCorps, service in 
        FEMA, or continuing service in the Peace Corps once operations 
        of the Peace Corps are to resume.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

    It is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
            (1) the President should fully utilize the competencies of 
        the Federal Government workforce to battle the outbreak of 
        coronavirus, the worst global health emergency the United 
        States has faced in a century, as well as make available 
        expanded opportunities for individuals in the United States 
        desiring to serve their country in its time of need;
            (2) the President should elevate the role of CNCS within 
        the whole-of-government response to the coronavirus outbreak, 
        including by urging its Chief Executive Officer to--
                    (A) in cooperation with the White House Coronavirus 
                Task Force, take steps to actively encourage 
                volunteerism and specifically encourage individuals in 
                the United States to serve as a volunteer in an 
                AmeriCorps program; and
                    (B) prioritize AmeriCorps grants that provide 
                assistance to those most impacted by the coronavirus 
                public health emergency and recruit the maximum number 
                of volunteers authorized by law, particularly focusing 
                on the recently unemployed;
            (3) the United States should expand the Cadre of On-Call 
        Response/Recovery Employees (CORE) program, administered by the 
        Federal Emergency Management Agency, to enlist individuals in 
        the United States to solve public health and supply-management 
        challenges related to the coronavirus outbreak, as well as 
        related to wildfires, hurricanes, and other disasters; and
            (4) bolstering the number full-time positions at the 
        Federal Emergency Management Agency will also expand national 
        service opportunities for qualified individuals in the United 
        States who have become unemployed or underemployed as a result 
        of the coronavirus outbreak, including the approximately 7,300 
        Peace Corps volunteers whose service ended on March 15, 2020.

SEC. 4. MOBILIZING PROGRAMS IN THE CORONAVIRUS PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.

    (a) Prioritizing Certain Agreements.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any provision of the 
        Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4950 et seq.) 
        or the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
        12501 et seq.), the Chief Executive Officer of CNCS shall, for 
        the period described in paragraph (2), prioritize existing 
        agreements, or enter into new agreements, with public and 
        private nonprofit organizations, in consultation with the 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Director of the 
        Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Administrator 
        of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and State 
        governments, that will direct volunteers in programs 
        administered by CNCS to assignments that assist those 
        individuals most impacted by the coronavirus public health 
        emergency, including assignments--
                    (A) providing support services to veterans, 
                homeless populations, the elderly, and other 
                individuals who may be most vulnerable during the 
                coronavirus public health emergency;
                    (B) supporting health care professionals and 
                related positions;
                    (C) offering before- and after-school tutoring and 
                instruction for children in low-income areas, including 
                through remote learning;
                    (D) enabling children to access remote learning by 
                performing technology consults for their families 
                remotely and at home; and
                    (E) performing other functions consistent with 
                addressing the coronavirus public health emergency.
            (2) Period.--The period described in this paragraph--
                    (A) shall begin on the date of enactment of this 
                Act; and
                    (B) shall end--
                            (i) not earlier than the date of the 
                        conclusion of the coronavirus public health 
                        emergency; and
                            (ii) not later than 2 years after the 
                        conclusion of such emergency.
    (b) Authorization for Additional Recruitment of AmeriCorps 
Volunteers.--
            (1) In general.--
                    (A) Increase in number of positions.--Section 
                121(f)(1)(B) of the National and Community Service Act 
                of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571(f)(1)(B)) is amended--
                            (i) in clause (vi), by striking ``and'' at 
                        the end;
                            (ii) in clause (vii), by adding ``and'' at 
                        the end; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(viii) 500,000 for each of fiscal years 
                        2020 through 2022;''.
                    (B) Reauthorizations.--
                            (i) Americorps vista.--Section 501(a)(1) of 
                        the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 
                        U.S.C. 5081(a)(1)) is amended by striking 
                        ``$100,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 and such 
                        sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal 
                        years 2011 through 2014'' and inserting ``such 
                        sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal 
                        years 2020 through 2022''.
                            (ii) Americorps nccc.--Section 501(a)(1) of 
                        the National and Community Service Act of 1990 
                        (42 U.S.C. 12681(a)(1)) is amended--
                                    (I) by striking clauses (i) and 
                                (ii); and
                                    (II) by striking ``title I--'' and 
                                inserting ``title I, such sums as may 
                                be necessary for each of fiscal years 
                                2020 through 2022.''.
                            (iii) Americorps state and national 
                        volunteers.--Section 501(a)(2) of the National 
                        and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
                        12681(a)(2)) is amended by striking ``2010 
                        through 2014'' and inserting ``2020 through 
                        2022''.
            (2) Requirement.--To fulfill the purposes of subsection 
        (a), the Chief Executive Officer of CNCS shall expedite the 
        recruitment and selection of volunteers who are--
                    (A) unemployed veterans;
                    (B) individuals who become unemployed or 
                underemployed as a result of the coronavirus public 
                health emergency; and
                    (C) AmeriCorps members, or Peace Corps volunteers, 
                who have had their service ended as a result of such 
                emergency.
    (c) Briefing to Congress.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the Chief 
Executive Officer of CNCS shall submit a report, to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee 
on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives, on the 
operating plan of the CNCS to carry out subsections (a) and (b), 
including the amendments under subsection (b).
    (d) Enhanced Stipend.--Section 105(b)(2)(A) of the Domestic 
Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4955(b)(2)(A)) is amended to 
read as follows:
            ``(A) beginning for fiscal year 2020, the minimum allowance 
        is not less than an amount equal to not less than 200 percent 
        of the income official poverty line (as defined by the Office 
        of Management and Budget, and revised annually in accordance 
        with section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 9902(2))) applicable to a family of 1; and''.
    (e) Coronavirus Public Health Emergency Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``coronavirus public health emergency'' means the public 
health emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) on 
January 31, 2020, with respect to COVID-19.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION FOR SURGE CAPACITY FOR FEDERAL EMERGENCY 
              MANAGEMENT AGENCY.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency shall appoint, administer, and expedite the training 
of an additional 10,000 Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees, 
under the Response and Recover Directorate (referred to in this section 
as ``CORE employees'') under the Office of Response and Recovery, above 
the level of such employees in fiscal year 2019, to address the 
coronavirus public health emergency.
    (b) Detail of CORE Employees.--A CORE employee may be detailed, 
through mutual agreement, to any Federal agency that is a participating 
agency in the White House Coronavirus Task Force, to fulfill an 
assignment for the Task Force, including--
            (1) logistical support for the supply chain of medical 
        equipment;
            (2) tracing contacts of infected individuals and their 
        status while being quarantined;
            (3) providing nutritional assistance to vulnerable 
        populations; and
            (4) administrative duties such as staffing call centers to 
        disseminate public-health related information to the public.
    (c) Requirement.--As soon as feasible, the Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency shall make public job announcements 
to fill the CORE employee positions authorized under subsection (a), 
which shall prioritize hiring from among the following groups of 
individuals:
            (1) Unemployed veterans of the Armed Forces.
            (2) Individuals who have become unemployed or underemployed 
        as a result of the coronavirus public health emergency.
            (3) AmeriCorps members, or Peace Corps Volunteers, who have 
        had their service ended as a result of the coronavirus public 
        health emergency.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 2020, 2021, 
and 2022 to carry out this section.
    (e) Coronavirus Public Health Emergency Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``coronavirus public health emergency'' has the meaning given 
the term in section 4(e).

SEC. 6. PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER REENROLLMENT ELIGIBILITY AND TRANSITION 
              ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Assistance for Peace Corps Volunteers Whose Service Ended 
Involuntarily.--Notwithstanding section 5 of the Peace Corps Act (22 
U.S.C. 2504), with respect to all of the Peace Corps volunteers whose 
service ended involuntarily on March 15, 2020 (or earlier, in the case 
of volunteers who were serving China and Mongolia), when the Director 
of the Peace Corps suspended all volunteer operations due to the 
coronavirus public health emergency, the Director of the Peace Corps 
shall--
            (1) continue to provide the health care described in 
        section 5(e) of such Act to the volunteer during the 6-month 
        period beginning on March 15, 2020, to supplement the benefits 
        to which the volunteer is otherwise entitled under section 5 of 
        such Act;
            (2) waive all nonmedical application requirements for the 
        reenrollment of the volunteer during the 1-year period 
        beginning on March 15, 2020;
            (3) expedite the medical clearance for such volunteer to 
        facilitate reenrollment;
            (4) permit the volunteer, to the extent possible, to resume 
        the activity in which the volunteer had been serving at the 
        time of his or her involuntarily end of service or any other 
        activity, by mutual agreement; and
            (5) provide the volunteer, beginning on the date of 
        reenrollment, with the compensation, allowances, benefits, and 
        other terms and conditions of service to which the volunteer is 
        entitled under such Act.
    (b) Report on Restart of Peace Corps Operations Following End of 
Public Health Emergency.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Peace Corps shall submit a 
report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives that 
describes the efforts of the Peace Corps--
            (1) to offer reenrollment to each Peace Corps volunteer 
        whose service ended involuntarily on March 15, 2020 (or 
        earlier, in the case of volunteers who were serving China and 
        Mongolia), due to the coronavirus public health emergency;
            (2) to obtain approval from countries, as necessary, to 
        return reenrolled volunteers to their previous assignments; and
            (3) to identify the anticipated additional appropriations 
        or new statutory authorities that would be necessary to achieve 
        the goal of safely redeploying 7,300 Peace Corps volunteers 
        during the 1-year period beginning on the date on which Peace 
        Corps operations resume.
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