Title: Coronavirus Relief Fund Flexibility Act of 2020
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Coronavirus Relief Fund Flexibility Act of 2020
This bill allows states to determine how to spend remaining Coronavirus Relief Fund amounts.
The bill prohibits funds from being spent on government employee bonuses, lobbying expenses, or budget shortfalls that existed prior to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), while providing a 50% match for funds spent on transportation projects begun in the next year. It requires states to hold 25% of their remaining relief funds in trust for future COVID-19 expenses.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8360 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8360

To amend title VI of the Social Security Act to modify the restrictions 
   on use of Coronavirus Relief Fund amounts, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 2020

Mr. Palmer (for himself, Mr. Bishop of North Carolina, Mr. Tiffany, Mr. 
  Burgess, Mr. Loudermilk, Mr. Hill of Arkansas, Mr. Pence, Mr. Kevin 
    Hern of Oklahoma, Mr. Graves of Louisiana, Mr. Luetkemeyer, Mr. 
Westerman, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Allen, 
 and Mr. Norman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committee 
 on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 amend title VI of the Social Security Act to modify the restrictions 
   on use of Coronavirus Relief Fund amounts, 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 ``Coronavirus Relief Fund Flexibility 
Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. USE OF CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND AMOUNTS.

    (a) Use of Funds.--Section 601(d) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 801(d)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(d) Use of Funds.--
            ``(1) In general.--A State, Tribal government, or unit of 
        local government may not use any funds provided under a payment 
        made under this section for lobbying expenses, pensions, raises 
        or bonuses for government officials, or budget shortfalls that 
        existed prior to the public health emergency with respect to 
        the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
            ``(2) Restriction on funds.--In the case of funds provided 
        under a payment made under this section to a State that is 1 of 
        the 50 States, none of the funds may be obligated except by 
        approval of the legislature of such State.
            ``(3) Funds held in trust.--Of any funds provided under a 
        payment made under this section to a State, Tribal government, 
        or unit of local government that remain unobligated as of the 
        date of the enactment of this subsection, not less than 25 
        percent shall be held in trust until June 30, 2021.''.

SEC. 3. FUNDING FLEXIBILITY FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.

    (a) Provision of Matching Federal Funds.--
            (1) In general.--If a State uses any amount of funds 
        provided under a payment made under section 601 of the Social 
        Security Act or any non-Federal funds to carry out activities 
        during the period beginning on the date of enactment of this 
        Act and ending 1 year after such date that are related to a 
        project receiving Federal financial assistance through the 
        Department of Transportation or a project authorized by the 
        Corps of Engineers and carried out by a non-Federal interest, 
        the Secretary of Transportation or the Secretary of the Army, 
        as applicable, shall provide to such State an amount equal to 
        50 percent of the funds spent on such activities.
            (2) Funding.--To carry out this subsection, there is 
        authorized to be appropriated, and there is appropriated, out 
        of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 
        $25,000,000,000, to remain available until expended.
    (b) Funds Eligible for Non-Federal Share of Certain Transportation 
Projects.--Funds provided under a payment made under section 601 of the 
Social Security Act may be used for up to 100 percent of the non-
Federal share of any project authorized by the Corps of Engineers and 
carried out by a non-Federal interest or any project receiving 
financial assistance under title 23, United States Code, if such funds 
are used to carry out activities during the period beginning on the 
date of enactment of this Act and ending on the date that is 1 year 
after such date of enactment.
                                 <all>