A bill to require payment of hazardous duty pay for members of the Armed Forces performing duty in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019, and for other purposes.

Bill: 116-s-3617
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA]
Introduced: 2020-05-06
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Health personnel

Income tax exclusion

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Military civil functions

Military medicine

Military personnel and dependents

Wages and earnings
Latest action: action_date: 2020-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-05-06
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>This bill requires the Department of Defense to pay hazardous duty pay during 2020 to active-duty regular or reserve servicemembers for duty related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).</p> <p>Such pay shall be</p> <ul> <li>not less than $150 a month, </li> <li>retroactively applied, </li> <li>provided in addition to any other pay and allowances to which the member is entitled, and </li> <li>excluded as gross income for purposes of federal income taxation. </li></ul>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3617 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 6, 2020 Ms. Ernst introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To require payment of hazardous duty pay for members of the Armed Forces performing duty in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019, and for other purposes.

1. Hazardous duty pay for members of the Armed Forces performing duty in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (a) In general The Secretary of the military department concerned shall pay hazardous duty pay under this section to a member of a regular or reserve component of the Armed Forces who— (1) performs duty in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19); and (2) is entitled to basic pay under section 204 of title 37, United States Code, or compensation under section 206 of such title, for the performance of such duty. (b) Regulations Hazardous duty pay shall be payable under this section in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense. Such regulations shall specify the duty in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 qualifying a member for payment of such pay under this section. (c) Amount The amount of hazardous duty pay paid a member under this section shall be such amount per month, not less than $150 per month, as the Secretary of Defense shall specify in the regulations under subsection (b). (d) Monthly payment; no proration (1) Monthly payment Hazardous duty pay under this section shall be paid on a monthly basis. (2) No proration Hazardous duty pay is payable to a member under this section for a month if the member performs any duty in that month qualifying the person for payment of such pay. (e) Months for which payable (1) In general Hazardous duty pay is payable under this section for qualifying duty performed in months occurring during the period— (A) beginning on January 1, 2020; and (B) ending on December 31, 2020. (2) Retroactive payment Hazardous duty pay under this section is payable on a retroactive basis. (f) Construction with other pay Hazardous duty pay payable to a member under this section is in addition to the following: (1) Any other pay and allowances to which the member is entitled by law. (2) Any other hazardous duty pay to which the member is entitled under section 351 of title 37, United States Code (or any other provision of law), for duty that also constitutes qualifying duty for payment of such pay under this section. (g) Exclusion from gross income For purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, gross income shall not include any amount of hazardous duty pay received under this section. (h) Sense of Senate It is the sense of the Senate that the Secretary of Defense should also authorize hazardous duty pay for members of the Armed Forces not under orders specific to the response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 who provide— (1) healthcare in a military medical treatment facility for individuals infected with the Coronavirus Disease 2019; or (2) technical or administrative support for the provision of healthcare as described in paragraph (1).