Title: Coronavirus Worker Relief Act
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
Coronavirus Worker Relief Act
This bill provides for unemployment benefits to workers affected by the coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19).
If the President issues an emergency declaration or major disaster declaration due to the coronavirus for a state or Indian tribe, the declaration shall be deemed to be a major disaster for the purpose of carrying out provisions regarding unemployment assistance.
An individual in an area for which such a declaration is declared shall be eligible for unemployment assistance if he or she
The assistance authorized for a week of unemployment shall be not less than the weekly amount authorized under the unemployment compensation law of the state for which the disaster declaration was issued.
The state unemployment compensation requirement that an individual be able to work, available to work, and actively seeking work shall not apply. Compensation shall be made to an individual otherwise eligible without any waiting period.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6207 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6207

 To provide for unemployment benefits to workers affected by the 2019 
                           Novel Coronavirus.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 11, 2020

   Mr. Kilmer (for himself, Ms. Herrera Beutler, and Mr. Rutherford) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                   Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for unemployment benefits to workers affected by the 2019 
                           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 Worker Relief Act''.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS OR DISASTER DECLARATIONS FOR 
              CORONAVIRUS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section, the definitions in section 102 
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5122) shall apply.
    (b) Emergency Declarations or Disaster Declarations for 2019 Novel 
Coronavirus.--If the President issues an emergency declaration or 
disaster declaration for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus for a State or 
Indian Tribe under section 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191), the emergency 
declaration or disaster declaration shall be deemed to be a major 
disaster declared by the President for the purpose of carrying out 
section 410 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5177).
    (c) Additional Eligibility Criteria.--In addition to the 
eligibility criteria for individuals established under section 410 of 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5177), individuals in an area for which an emergency declaration 
or disaster declaration for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus described in 
subsection (b) is declared shall be eligible for unemployment 
assistance under such section 410 if--
            (1) the individual has experienced a week of unemployment 
        in the area with an active emergency declaration or disaster 
        declaration for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, and as a result of 
        the 2019 Novel Coronavirus;
            (2) the individual has good cause to voluntarily reduce 
        regular work hours or refuse a bona fide offer of employment, 
        or, in the case of an unemployed self-employed individual, 
        refuse to resume or commence suitable self-employment, for a 
        reason such as illness or incapacity, family crises, or changed 
        individual or family circumstances in the area for which the 
        emergency declaration or disaster declaration was issued, and 
        as a result of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus; or
            (3) the individual is unable to work due to the result of 
        the immediate Federal, State, Tribal, or local government 
        response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, such as--
                    (A) the inaccessibility of the place of employment 
                in the area for which the emergency declaration or 
                disaster declaration was issued due to closure of the 
                place of employment by or at the request of the 
                Federal, State, Tribal, or local government as a result 
                of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus; or
                    (B) the employer of the individual, or the business 
                in the case of a unemployed self-employed individual, 
                prior to the emergency declaration or disaster 
                declaration being issued, received at least a 
                significant amount of the revenue or income of the 
                employer or business, as the case may be, from entities 
                that--
                            (i) are located in the area for which the 
                        emergency declaration or disaster declaration 
                        was issued; and
                            (ii) were closed by the Federal, State, 
                        Tribal, or local government in immediate 
                        response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
    (d) Minimum Amount of Assistance.--The assistance authorized under 
this section for a week of unemployment shall be not less than the 
weekly amount authorized under the unemployment compensation law of the 
State for which the emergency declaration or disaster declaration was 
issued.
    (e) Waiver of State Requirements.--Notwithstanding State law, for 
purposes of assistance authorized under this section--
            (1) the requirement that an individual be able to work, 
        available to work, and actively seeking work shall not apply; 
        and
            (2) compensation under section 410 of Robert T. Stafford 
        Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5177) 
        shall be made to an individual otherwise eligible for such 
        compensation without any waiting period.
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