Title: Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act
This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to provide grants and other forms of emergency assistance to certain providers of transportation services that have experienced a significant revenue loss as a direct or indirect result of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
Treasury must ensure equal access to the assistance for small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses.
As a condition of receipt of assistance, Treasury must require that a provider of transportation services agree to (1) use the funds, on a priority basis, to maintain through December 31, 2020, pay, paid administrative leave, and benefits to all employees after making any adjustments required for retirement or voluntary employee separation; and (2) recall or rehire any employee laid off, furloughed, or terminated because of reduced service as a result of COVID-19, to the extent warranted by increased service levels.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4150 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4150

   To require the Secretary of the Treasury to provide assistance to 
  certain providers of transportation services affected by the novel 
                              coronavirus.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              July 2, 2020

 Mr. Reed (for himself and Ms. Collins) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Secretary of the Treasury to provide assistance to 
  certain providers of transportation services affected by the novel 
                              coronavirus.

    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 Economic Relief for 
Transportation Services Act''.

SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE FOR PROVIDERS OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES AFFECTED BY 
              COVID-19.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Provider of transportation services.--The term 
        ``provider of transportation services'' means an entity that--
                    (A) is established or organized--
                            (i) in the United States; or
                            (ii) pursuant to Federal law;
                    (B) has significant operations, and a majority of 
                employees based, in the United States;
                    (C) was in operation on March 1, 2020; and
                    (D) is the operator of--
                            (i) a vessel of the United States (as 
                        defined in section 116 of title 46, United 
                        States Code) that is--
                                    (I) a passenger vessel (as defined 
                                in section 2101 of title 46, United 
                                States Code) carrying fewer than 2,400 
                                passengers; or
                                    (II) a small passenger vessel (as 
                                defined in section 2101 of title 46, 
                                United States Code);
                            (ii) a company providing transportation 
                        services using a bus characterized by an 
                        elevated passenger deck located over a baggage 
                        compartment (commonly known as an ``over-the-
                        road bus''), including local and intercity 
                        fixed-route service, commuter service, and 
                        charter or tour service (including tour or 
                        excursion service that includes features in 
                        addition to bus transportation, such as meals, 
                        lodging, admission to points of interest or 
                        special attractions, or the services of a 
                        guide);
                            (iii) a company providing transportation 
                        services using a school bus (as defined in 
                        section 571.3 of title 49, Code of Federal 
                        Regulations (or successor regulations)); or
                            (iv) any other transportation service 
                        company subject to regulation by the Department 
                        of Transportation as the Secretary, in 
                        consultation with the Secretary of 
                        Transportation, determines to be appropriate.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Treasury.
    (b) Funding.--
            (1) In general.--Out of any funds in the Treasury not 
        otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated to provide 
        grants and other forms of emergency assistance to eligible 
        providers of transportation services under this section, 
        $10,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2020.
            (2) Emergency designation.--
                    (A) In general.--The amounts provided by this 
                section are designated as an emergency requirement 
                pursuant to section 4(g) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go 
                Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(g)).
                    (B) Designation in senate.--In the Senate, this 
                section is designated as an emergency requirement 
                pursuant to section 4112(a) of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th 
                Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for 
                fiscal year 2018. 
    (c) Provision of Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
        Secretary of Transportation, shall use the amounts made 
        available under subsection (b) to provide grants and other 
        forms of emergency assistance to eligible providers of 
        transportation services described in paragraph (2) that have 
        experienced a significant revenue loss as direct or indirect 
        result of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
            (2) Description of eligible providers of transportation 
        services.--An eligible provider of transportation services 
        referred to in paragraph (1) is--
                    (A) a provider of transportation services that, on 
                March 1, 2020--
                            (i) had 500 or fewer employees; and
                            (ii) was not a subsidiary of, or controlled 
                        by, another entity with a combined total full-
                        time workforce of more than 500 employees; or
                    (B) a provider of transportation services that--
                            (i) on March 1, 2020, had more than 500 
                        employees; and
                            (ii) has not received assistance under 
                        paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of section 4003(b), 
                        or subtitle B of title IV, of the Coronavirus 
                        Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (Public 
                        Law 116-136; 134 Stat. 281).
            (3) Amount.--
                    (A) Factors for consideration.--In determining the 
                amount of assistance to be provided to an eligible 
                provider of transportation services under this 
                subsection, the Secretary shall take into 
                consideration--
                            (i) the estimated revenue and cash flow of 
                        the provider of transportation services during 
                        the 12-month period beginning on the date of 
                        receipt of the assistance;
                            (ii) the amount of debt owed by the 
                        provider of transportation services on major 
                        equipment, if any; and
                            (iii) other sources of Federal assistance 
                        provided to the provider of transportation 
                        services, if any.
                    (B) Limitation.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
                the amount of assistance provided to a provider of 
                transportation services under this subsection, when 
                combined with any other Federal assistance provided in 
                response to COVID-19 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, 
                and Economic Security Act (Public Law 116-136; 134 
                Stat. 281), the Paycheck Protection Program and Health 
                Care Enhancement Act (Public Law 116-139; 134 Stat. 
                620), or any other provision of law, does not exceed 
                the total amount of revenue earned by the provider of 
                transportation services during calendar year 2019.
            (4) Type of assistance.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
        not less than 50 percent of the amounts made available under 
        subsection (b) are used to provide grants.
            (5) Equal access.--The Secretary shall ensure equal access 
        to the assistance provided under this section to eligible 
        providers of transportation services that are small, minority-
        owned, and women-owned businesses.
            (6) Condition of receipt.--As a condition of receipt of 
        assistance under this subsection, the Secretary shall require 
        that a provider of transportation services shall agree--
                    (A) to use the funds, on a priority basis and to 
                the extent available, to maintain through December 31, 
                2020, pay, paid administrative leave, and benefits to 
                all employees as of the date of enactment of this Act, 
                after making any adjustments required for--
                            (i) retirement; or
                            (ii) voluntary employee separation; and
                    (B) to recall or rehire any employee laid off, 
                furloughed, or terminated because of reduced service as 
                a result of COVID-19 or the effects of COVID-19, to the 
                extent warranted by increased service levels.
    (d) Eligible Activities.--A provider of transportation services 
shall use assistance provided under subsection (c) only for--
            (1) activities to ensure the preservation of jobs based in 
        the United States;
            (2) the acquisition of services, equipment, including 
        personal protective equipment, and other measures needed to 
        protect workers and customers from COVID-19; or
            (3) continued operations and maintenance of existing 
        capital equipment and facilities (including rent, leases, 
        insurance, and debt service) during the period of economic 
        distress caused by the outbreak of COVID-19.
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