Pandemic Disaster Assistance Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-6687
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14]
Introduced: 2020-05-01
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Appropriations

Department of Agriculture

Department of Labor

Disaster relief and insurance

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Executive agency funding and structure

Food assistance and relief

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Nutrition and diet

Unemployment
Latest action: action_date: 2020-05-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-05-01
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Pandemic Disaster Assistance Act of 2020</strong></p> <p>This bill authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide direct assistance to individuals who have been impacted by a pandemic and appropriates funds to the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Labor for unemployment compensation and disaster relief.</p> <p>Specifically, at the discretion of a governor or the President, individuals impacted by a pandemic will be eligible to apply directly to federal agencies for various forms of assistance, including (1) assistance under the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program; (2) assistance under the Disaster Unemployment Assistance&nbsp;program; and (3) other needs assistance through FEMA's Individual Assistance program, including medical, funeral, and child care assistance.</p> <p>With respect to the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program, the bill creates a national floor for benefits at 1.5 times the national weekly average and provides a waiver to the&nbsp;requirement to exhaust state unemployment insurance options.</p> <p>With respect to the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program, the Department of Agriculture must provide options other than an in-person interview.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6687 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 1, 2020 Ms. Ocasio-Cortez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure , and in addition to the Committee on the Budget , 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 the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to provide assistance to individuals affected by a pandemic, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Pandemic Disaster Assistance Act of 2020 . 2. Assistance for pandemics The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) is amended— (1) in section 102(1) ( 42 U.S.C. 5122(1) ), by inserting or pandemic after catastrophe ; (2) in section 301 ( 42 U.S.C. 5141 ), by inserting or an emergency due to a pandemic after major disaster each place the term appears; (3) in section 408(e) ( 42 U.S.C. 5174(e) ), by inserting or an emergency due to a pandemic after major disaster each place the term appears; (4) in section 410 ( 42 U.S.C. 5177 )— (A) in subsection (a), by inserting or an emergency due to a pandemic after major disaster each place the term appears; and (B) by adding at the end the following: (c) Assistance during a pandemic In the case of an emergency due to a pandemic— (1) assistance authorized under this section shall be made available to an individual regardless of whether the individual is entitled to any other unemployment compensation (as that term is defined in section 85(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986); and (2) the minimum weekly benefit shall be 1.5 times the national average State unemployment compensation weekly benefit for the previous year. ; (5) in section 412 ( 42 U.S.C. 5179 )— (A) by inserting or an emergency due to a pandemic after major disaster each place the term appears; (B) in subsection (a) by inserting without regard to regular allotments after the reference to the Food and Nutrition Act; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (d) Assistance during a pandemic In the case of an emergency due to a pandemic, for purposes of providing benefits under this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall remove or delay the requirement of an in-person interview and if an interview occurs, provide an alternative to the in-person interview requirement for all applicants. Assistance shall be provided based on need and not lost provisions. ; and (6) in section 502(a) ( 42 U.S.C. 5192(a) )— (A) in paragraph (7), by striking and at the end; (B) in paragraph (8)(B), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (9) provide unemployment assistance in accordance with section 410; and (10) provide assistance in accordance with section 412. . 3. Funding Provided that there are hereby appropriated to the Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Labor such amounts as are necessary to carry out section 2(5) and section 2(4), respectively. Provided, 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.