Coronavirus Worker Relief Act

II 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 3476 To provide for unemployment benefits to workers affected by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 12, 2020 Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. DAINES, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. ROMNEY, Mr. SCHATZ, and Mr. YOUNG) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 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 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:14 Mar 21, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3476.IS S3476 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 3476 IS SEC. 2. EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS OR DISASTER DEC- 1 LARATIONS FOR CORONAVIRUS. 2 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the definitions in 3 section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 4 Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122) shall apply. 5 (b) AUTHORITY.—In any emergency declared by the 6 President under section 501 of the Robert T. Stafford 7 Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 8 5191) related to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, in addition 9 to the assistance authorized by section 502 of such Act, 10 the President may provide assistance under section 410 11 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5177) for unemployment and lost 12 wages, including by expanding the eligibility for assistance 13 in accordance with subsection (d). 14 (c) APPLICATION TO MAJOR DISASTER DECLARA- 15 TIONS.—For any major disaster declared under section 16 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer- 17 gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191) for the 2019 Novel 18 Coronavirus, the expanded eligibility criteria in subsection 19 (d) shall apply. 20 (d) ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.—In addi- 21 tion to the eligibility criteria for individuals established 22 under section 410 of Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 23 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5177), individ- 24 uals in an area for which an emergency declaration or dis- 25 aster declaration for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus de- 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:14 Mar 21, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3476.IS S3476 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 3476 IS scribed in subsection (b) is declared shall be eligible for 1 unemployment assistance under such section 410 if— 2 (1) the individual has experienced a week of un- 3 employment in the area with an active emergency 4 declaration or disaster declaration for the 2019 5 Novel Coronavirus, and as a result of the 2019 6 Novel Coronavirus; 7 (2) the individual has good cause to voluntarily 8 reduce regular work hours or refuse a bona fide 9 offer of employment, or, in the case of an unem- 10 ployed self-employed individual, refuse to resume or 11 commence suitable self-employment, for a reason 12 such as illness or incapacity, family crises, or 13 changed individual or family circumstances in the 14 area for which the emergency declaration or disaster 15 declaration was issued, and as a result of the 2019 16 Novel Coronavirus; or 17 (3) the individual is unable to work due to the 18 result of the immediate Federal, State, Tribal, or 19 local government response to the 2019 Novel 20 Coronavirus, such as— 21 (A) the inaccessibility of the place of em- 22 ployment in the area for which the emergency 23 declaration or disaster declaration was issued 24 due to closure of the place of employment by or 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:14 Mar 21, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3476.IS S3476 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •S 3476 IS at the request of the Federal, State, Tribal, or 1 local government as a result of the 2019 Novel 2 Coronavirus; or 3 (B) the employer of the individual, or the 4 business in the case of a unemployed self-em- 5 ployed individual, prior to the emergency dec- 6 laration or disaster declaration being issued, re- 7 ceived at least a significant amount of the rev- 8 enue or income of the employer or business, as 9 the case may be, from entities that— 10 (i) are located in the area for which 11 the emergency declaration or disaster dec- 12 laration was issued; and 13 (ii) were closed by the Federal, State, 14 Tribal, or local government in immediate 15 response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. 16 (e) MINIMUM AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE.—The assist- 17 ance authorized under this section for a week of unemploy- 18 ment shall be not less than the weekly amount authorized 19 under the unemployment compensation law of the State 20 for which the emergency declaration or disaster declara- 21 tion was issued. 22 (f) WAIVER OF STATE REQUIREMENTS.—Notwith- 23 standing State law, for purposes of assistance authorized 24 under this section— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:14 Mar 21, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3476.IS S3476 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •S 3476 IS (1) the requirement that an individual be able 1 to work, available to work, and actively seeking work 2 shall not apply; and 3 (2) compensation under section 410 of Robert 4 T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist- 5 ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5177) shall be made to an indi- 6 vidual otherwise eligible for such compensation with- 7 out any waiting period. 8 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:14 Mar 21, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S3476.IS S3476 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS