Title: A bill making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
COVID Community Care Act
This bill provides FY2020 supplemental funding for the Department of Health and Human Services and the Indian Health Service to implement programs to prevent and respond to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) in medically underserved areas and among tribal populations, respectively. The bill designates the funding as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4941 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4941

Making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending 
              September 30, 2020, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 1, 2020

  Ms. Warren introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
Making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending 
              September 30, 2020, and for other purposes.

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

            TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

                        Office of the Secretary

            public health and social services emergency fund

                     (including transfer of funds)

    For an additional amount for ``Public Health and Social Services 
Emergency Fund'', $8,000,000,000, to remain available until September 
30, 2022, for the implementation of the comprehensive program to 
prevent and respond to COVID-19 in medically underserved communities, 
as authorized by section 101: Provided, That of such amounts, 
$60,000,000 shall be transferred to ``General Departmental Management'' 
and made available to the ``Office of Minority Health'' for the 
implementation of such program: Provided further, That the amounts made 
available (including amounts transferred) under this heading shall be 
in addition to amounts otherwise available for such purposes: Provided 
further, That such amounts are designated by the Congress as being for 
an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the 
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

                         Indian Health Service

                         indian health services

    For an additional amount for ``Indian Health Services'', 
$400,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022, for the 
implementation of a comprehensive program to prevent and respond to 
COVID-19 through programs and services administered by the Indian 
Health Service and Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Urban 
Indian organizations pursuant to a contract or compact under the Indian 
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et 
seq.) or the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1601 et 
seq.), as authorized by section 102 of this Act: Provided, That such 
amounts shall be in addition to amounts otherwise available for such 
purposes: Provided further, That such funds shall be allocated at the 
discretion of the Director of the Indian Health Service: Provided 
further, That the amount provided under this heading in this Act shall 
be distributed through Indian Health Service directly operated programs 
and to Tribes and Tribal organizations under the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.) and 
through contracts or grants with Urban Indian Organizations under title 
V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1651 et seq.): 
Provided further, That any amounts made available under this heading 
and transferred to Tribes or Tribal organizations shall be transferred 
on a one-time basis, and that these non-recurring funds are not part of 
the amount required by section 106 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5325), and that such amounts may 
only be used for the purposes authorized by section 102 of this Act, 
notwithstanding any other provision of law: Provided further, That such 
amount is designated by the Congress as being for an emergency 
requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget 
and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

                     GENERAL PROVISIONS -- THIS ACT

    Sec. 101. (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, in consultation with the Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
Minority Health, shall implement a comprehensive program to--
            (1) prevent and respond to COVID-19 in medically 
        underserved communities; and
            (2) ensure that such program is designed to complement the 
        efforts of State and local public health agencies.
    (b) Components.--The comprehensive program under subsection (a) 
shall include the following:
            (1) The provision of diagnostic tests for the virus that 
        causes COVID-19, including rapid response tests and testing 
        through the use of mobile health units.
            (2) The provision of serological tests for the virus that 
        causes COVID-19.
            (3) Contact tracing to monitor the contacts of individuals 
        who are or were infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
            (4) The provision of personal protective equipment to 
        essential workers.
            (5) The facilitation of--
                    (A) voluntary isolation and quarantine of 
                individuals presumed or confirmed to be infected with, 
                or exposed to individuals presumed or confirmed to be 
                infected with, the virus that causes COVID-19; and
                    (B) the provision of social services and support 
                for such individuals.
            (6) A culturally diverse and multilingual social marketing 
        campaign carried out by trusted members of the community 
        involved to increase public awareness of--
                    (A) health precautions to prevent exposure to the 
                virus that causes COVID-19;
                    (B) the benefits of monitoring and testing for 
                COVID-19;
                    (C) health care assistance programs and entities 
                that provide treatment for such virus; and
                    (D) public assistance and unemployment programs for 
                individuals affected by the spread of COVID-19.
    (c) Grants to Partners.--To carry out the components of the 
comprehensive program under subsection (b), the Secretary shall provide 
grants to--
            (1) faith-based, community, and nonprofit organizations; 
        and
            (2) eligible institutions of higher education described in 
        section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        1067q(a)) that have partnerships with one or more faith-based, 
        community, or nonprofit organizations.
    (d) Contact Tracing.--
            (1) Location of personnel.--The individuals hired and 
        trained to perform contact tracing pursuant to the 
        comprehensive program under subsection (a) shall have--
                    (A) experience in medically underserved 
                communities; and
                    (B) relationships with individuals who reside in 
                medically underserved communities.
            (2) Protection of personal information.--The Secretary 
        shall ensure that the individually identifiable information 
        collected to perform contact tracing pursuant to the 
        comprehensive program under subsection (a) is secure from 
        unauthorized access and disclosure.
    (e) Strategy.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 14 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop and 
        publish a comprehensive strategy with respect to the 
        comprehensive program under subsection (a) for the purpose of 
        addressing health and health disparities, taking into 
        consideration the following:
                    (A) Race and ethnicity.
                    (B) Sex.
                    (C) Age.
                    (D) Limited English proficiency.
                    (E) Socioeconomic status.
                    (F) Disability.
                    (G) Census tract.
                    (H) Status as a member of the lesbian, gay, 
                bisexual, and transgender community.
                    (I) Occupation.
                    (J) Other demographic data.
            (2) Consultation.--In developing the strategy under 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult with health 
        officials who represent the following:
                    (A) State and territorial governments.
                    (B) Local governments.
                    (C) Tribal governments.
    Sec. 102. (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, acting through the Director of the Indian Health Service, 
shall implement a comprehensive program to prevent and respond to 
COVID-19 through programs and services administered by--
            (1) the Indian Health Service; and
            (2) Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Urban Indian 
        organizations pursuant to a contract or compact under--
                    (A) the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
                Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.); or
                    (B) the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 
                U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).
    (b) Components.--The comprehensive program under subsection (a) 
shall include the following:
            (1) The provision of diagnostic tests for the virus that 
        causes COVID-19, including rapid response tests and testing 
        through the use of mobile health units.
            (2) The provision of serological tests for the virus that 
        causes COVID-19.
            (3) Contact tracing to monitor the contacts of individuals 
        who are or were infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, 
        including hiring and training culturally and linguistically 
        competent contact tracers.
            (4) The provision of personal protective equipment to 
        essential workers, including--
                    (A) community health representatives employed under 
                section 516 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act 
                (25 U.S.C. 1616f); and
                    (B) community health aides employed under section 
                119 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 
                U.S.C. 1616l).
            (5) The facilitation of--
                    (A) voluntary isolation and quarantine of 
                individuals presumed or confirmed to be infected with, 
                or exposed to individuals presumed or confirmed to be 
                infected with, the virus that causes COVID-19; and
                    (B) the provision of social services and support 
                for such individuals.
            (6) A culturally and linguistically appropriate social 
        marketing campaign carried out by trusted members of the 
        community involved to increase public awareness of--
                    (A) health precautions to prevent exposure to, and 
                the spread of, the virus that causes COVID-19;
                    (B) the benefits of monitoring and testing for such 
                virus; and
                    (C) other public awareness priorities.
            (7) Awarding grants or cooperative agreements to 
        epidemiology centers established under section 214 of the 
        Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1621m).
    (c) Consultation.--Before implementing the program under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall--
            (1) consult with Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations; 
        and
            (2) confer with Urban Indian organizations.
    Sec. 103.  In this Act:
            (1) The term ``essential worker'' means--
                    (A) a health sector employee;
                    (B) an emergency response worker;
                    (C) a sanitation worker;
                    (D) a worker at a business which a State or local 
                government official has determined must remain open to 
                serve the public during a public health emergency (as 
                declared pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health 
                Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d)) with respect to COVID-19; 
                and
                    (E) any other worker who cannot telework, and whom 
                the State deems to be essential during a public health 
                emergency with respect to COVID-19.
            (2) The term ``Indian Tribe'' means an ``Indian tribe'' as 
        defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
        Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            (3) The term ``medically underserved communities'' means 
        communities that each--
                    (A) have a rate of infection, hospitalization, or 
                death with respect to COVID-19 that is higher than the 
                national average;
                    (B) have a high percentage of racial and ethnic 
                minorities; or
                    (C) are above the 90th percentile according to the 
                area deprivation index developed by the Administrator 
                of the Health Resources and Services Administration.
            (4) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Services.
            (5) The term ``Tribal organization'' means a ``tribal 
        organization'' as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            (6) The term ``Urban Indian organization'' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 4 of the Indian Health Care 
        Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603).
    Sec. 104.  Unless otherwise provided for by this Act, the 
additional amounts appropriated by this Act to appropriations accounts 
shall be available under the authorities and conditions applicable to 
such appropriations accounts for fiscal year 2020.
    Sec. 105.  Each amount designated in this Act by the Congress as 
being for an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) 
of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 shall 
be available (or transferred, as applicable) only if the President 
subsequently so designates all such amounts and transmits such 
designations to the Congress.
     This Act may be cited as the ``COVID Community Care Act''.
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