Assistance for Workers Harmed by COVID–19 Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6205 To amend the Trade Act of 1974 to provide adjustment assistance to certain workers adversely affected by disruptions in global supply chains from the Coronavirus Disease (COVID–19), and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 11, 2020 Ms. DELBENE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL To amend the Trade Act of 1974 to provide adjustment assistance to certain workers adversely affected by dis- ruptions in global supply chains from the Coronavirus Disease (COVID–19), and for other purposes. 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 ‘‘Assistance for Workers 4 Harmed by COVID–19 Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:41 Mar 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6205.IH H6205 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6205 IH (1) In recognition that trade policy can result 1 in disparate and disruptive changes to the economy, 2 the Trade Adjustment Assistance program was en- 3 acted to help workers adversely impacted by global 4 trade. 5 (2) The Coronavirus Disease (COVID–19) has 6 severely disrupted global supply chains due to Chi- 7 na’s role as the main supplier of intermediate out- 8 puts for manufacturing companies around the world. 9 A drop in the Chinese supply of these inputs nega- 10 tively impacts production for American manufactur- 11 ers. 12 (3) COVID–19 has also depressed cargo vol- 13 umes at major ports in the United States and closed 14 off certain foreign markets to American exporters. 15 (4) Workers adversely impacted by these effects 16 deserve access to trade adjustment assistance. 17 SEC. 3. ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE FOR DISRUPTIONS IN 18 GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS CAUSED BY THE 19 CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID–19). 20 Section 222(a)(2) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 21 U.S.C. 2272(a)(2)) is amended— 22 (1) in subparagraph (A)(iii), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 23 the end; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:41 Mar 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6205.IH H6205 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 6205 IH (2) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking the pe- 1 riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 2 (3) by adding at the end the following: 3 ‘‘(C)(i) the sales or production, or both, of 4 such firm have decreased absolutely; 5 ‘‘(ii)(I) exports of articles produced or 6 services supplied by such firm have decreased, 7 or 8 ‘‘(II) imports of articles used in the pro- 9 duction of articles described in subclause (I) 10 have decreased, 11 in whole or in part from disruptions in global 12 supply chains affected by the Coronavirus Dis- 13 ease (COVID-19); and 14 ‘‘(iii) the decrease in exports described in 15 clause (ii)(I) or the decrease in imports de- 16 scribed in clause (ii)(II), as the case may be, 17 contributed importantly to such workers’ sepa- 18 ration or threat of separation and to the de- 19 crease in the sales or production of such firm.’’. 20 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:41 Mar 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6205.IH H6205 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS