Title: To provide funding for needed child and adult care so that essential workers can report to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Policy area: Families

Summary:
This bill provides funding for FY2020 for child and adult-dependent care services for essential workers. Essential workers include (1) health-sector employees, (2) emergency responders, (3) sanitation workers, (4) employees of businesses required to remain open during the public health emergency declared on January 31, 2020, and (5) other workers a state deems essential and who are unable to telework. Eligibility for such funding is not based on income.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6460 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6460

 To provide funding for needed child and adult care so that essential 
        workers can report to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 7, 2020

 Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois (for himself, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Lewis, 
   Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Ms. Sewell of Alabama, Mr. Evans, Mr. 
 Suozzi, Mr. Schneider, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Horsford, Ms. 
   Moore, and Mr. Panetta) introduced the following bill; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide funding for needed child and adult care so that essential 
        workers can report to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

SECTION 1. FAMILY CARE FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS.

    (a) Increase in Funding for Social Services Block Grant Program.--
            (1) In general.--The amount specified in subsection (c) of 
        section 2003 of the Social Security Act for purposes of 
        subsections (a) and (b) of such section is deemed to be 
        $2,550,000,000 for fiscal year 2020, of which $850,000,000 
        shall be obligated by States during calendar year 2020 in 
        accordance with subsection (b) of this section.
            (2) Appropriation.--Out of any money in the Treasury of the 
        United States not otherwise appropriated, there are 
        appropriated $850,000,000 for fiscal year 2020 to carry out 
        this section.
    (b) Rules Governing Use of Additional Funds.--
            (1) In general.--Funds are used in accordance with this 
        subsection if--
                    (A) the funds are used for--
                            (i) child care services for a child of an 
                        essential worker; or
                            (ii) daytime care services or other adult 
                        protective services for an individual who--
                                    (I) is a dependent, or a member of 
                                the household of, an essential worker; 
                                and
                                    (II) requires the services;
                    (B) the funds are provided to reimburse an 
                essential worker for the cost of obtaining the services 
                (including child care services obtained on or after the 
                date the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
                declared a public health emergency pursuant to section 
                319 of the Public Health Service Act on January 31, 
                2020, entitled ``Determination that a Public Health 
                Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the 2019 
                Novel Coronavirus''), to a provider of child care 
                services, or to establish a temporary child care 
                facility operated by a State or local government;
                    (C) eligibility for the funds or services, and the 
                amount of funds or services provided, is not 
                conditioned on a means test;
                    (D) the funds are used subject to the limitations 
                in section 2005 of the Social Security Act, except 
                that, for purposes of this subparagraph--
                            (i) paragraphs (3), (5), and (8) of section 
                        2005(a) of such Act shall not apply; and
                            (ii)(I) the limitation in section 
                        2005(a)(7) of such Act shall not apply with 
                        respect to any standard which the State 
                        involved determines would impede the ability of 
                        the State to provide emergency temporary care 
                        to a child, dependent, or household member 
                        referred to in subparagraph (A) of this 
                        paragraph; and
                            (II) if the State determines that such a 
                        standard would be so impeding, the State shall 
                        report the determination to the Secretary, 
                        separately from the annual report to the 
                        Secretary by the State;
                    (E) the funds are used to supplement, not supplant, 
                State general revenue funds for child care assistance; 
                and
                    (F) the funds are not used for child care costs 
                that are--
                            (i) covered by funds provided under the 
                        Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 
                        1990 or section 418 of the Social Security Act; 
                        or
                            (ii) reimbursable by the Federal Emergency 
                        Management Agency.
            (2) Essential worker defined.--In paragraph (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 the emergency referred to in 
                paragraph (1)(B); and
                    (E) any other worker who cannot telework, and whom 
                the State deems to be essential during the emergency 
                referred to in paragraph (1)(B).
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