Coronavirus Worker Relief Act

I 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 Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Coronavirus Worker 4 Relief Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS OR DISASTER DEC- 6 LARATIONS FOR CORONAVIRUS. 7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the definitions in 8 section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 9 Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122) shall apply. 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:59 Mar 18, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6207.IH H6207 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6207 IH (b) EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS OR DISASTER DEC- 1 LARATIONS FOR 2019 NOVEL CORONAVIRUS.—If the 2 President issues an emergency declaration or disaster dec- 3 laration for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus for a State or 4 Indian Tribe under section 501 of the Robert T. Stafford 5 Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 6 5191), the emergency declaration or disaster declaration 7 shall be deemed to be a major disaster declared by the 8 President for the purpose of carrying out section 410 of 9 such Act (42 U.S.C. 5177). 10 (c) ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.—In addi- 11 tion to the eligibility criteria for individuals established 12 under section 410 of Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 13 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5177), individ- 14 uals in an area for which an emergency declaration or dis- 15 aster declaration for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus de- 16 scribed in subsection (b) is declared shall be eligible for 17 unemployment assistance under such section 410 if— 18 (1) the individual has experienced a week of un- 19 employment in the area with an active emergency 20 declaration or disaster declaration for the 2019 21 Novel Coronavirus, and as a result of the 2019 22 Novel Coronavirus; 23 (2) the individual has good cause to voluntarily 24 reduce regular work hours or refuse a bona fide 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:59 Mar 18, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6207.IH H6207 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 6207 IH offer of employment, or, in the case of an unem- 1 ployed self-employed individual, refuse to resume or 2 commence suitable self-employment, for a reason 3 such as illness or incapacity, family crises, or 4 changed individual or family circumstances in the 5 area for which the emergency declaration or disaster 6 declaration was issued, and as a result of the 2019 7 Novel Coronavirus; or 8 (3) the individual is unable to work due to the 9 result of the immediate Federal, State, Tribal, or 10 local government response to the 2019 Novel 11 Coronavirus, such as— 12 (A) the inaccessibility of the place of em- 13 ployment in the area for which the emergency 14 declaration or disaster declaration was issued 15 due to closure of the place of employment by or 16 at the request of the Federal, State, Tribal, or 17 local government as a result of the 2019 Novel 18 Coronavirus; or 19 (B) the employer of the individual, or the 20 business in the case of a unemployed self-em- 21 ployed individual, prior to the emergency dec- 22 laration or disaster declaration being issued, re- 23 ceived at least a significant amount of the rev- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:59 Mar 18, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6207.IH H6207 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 6207 IH enue or income of the employer or business, as 1 the case may be, from entities that— 2 (i) are located in the area for which 3 the emergency declaration or disaster dec- 4 laration was issued; and 5 (ii) were closed by the Federal, State, 6 Tribal, or local government in immediate 7 response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. 8 (d) MINIMUM AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE.—The assist- 9 ance authorized under this section for a week of unemploy- 10 ment shall be not less than the weekly amount authorized 11 under the unemployment compensation law of the State 12 for which the emergency declaration or disaster declara- 13 tion was issued. 14 (e) WAIVER OF STATE REQUIREMENTS.—Notwith- 15 standing State law, for purposes of assistance authorized 16 under this section— 17 (1) the requirement that an individual be able 18 to work, available to work, and actively seeking work 19 shall not apply; and 20 (2) compensation under section 410 of Robert 21 T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist- 22 ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5177) shall be made to an indi- 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:59 Mar 18, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6207.IH H6207 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 6207 IH vidual otherwise eligible for such compensation with- 1 out any waiting period. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:59 Mar 18, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6207.IH H6207 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS