Combating Hunger for Older Americans During Coronavirus Crisis Act of 2020

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6313 To provide for additional emergency nutrition assistance under the Older Americans Act of 1965 in fiscal year 2020 to respond to the declared COVID-19 public health emergency, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 19, 2020 Ms. WILD (for herself and Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor A BILL To provide for additional emergency nutrition assistance under the Older Americans Act of 1965 in fiscal year 2020 to respond to the declared COVID-19 public health emergency, 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 ‘‘Combating Hunger 4 for Older Americans During Coronavirus Crisis Act of 5 2020’’. 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:30 Mar 31, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6313.IH H6313 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6313 IH SEC. 2. HOME DELIVERED NUTRITION SERVICES CRITERIA 1 APPLICABLE UNDER THE OLDER AMERICANS 2 ACT OF 1965 DURING FISCAL YEAR 2020 TO 3 RESPOND TO THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH 4 EMERGENCY. 5 For purposes of State agencies determining the deliv- 6 ery of nutrition services under subpart 2 of part C of title 7 III of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3030f 8 et seq.), during the portion of COVID-19 public health 9 emergency declared under section 319 of the Public 10 Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) that occurs in the 11 period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act 12 and ending on September 31, 2020, the State agency shall 13 include among individuals receiving such delivery because 14 they are homebound an individual age 60 and older, or 15 an individual with a disability (of any age), who is unable 16 to obtain nutrition because the individual is under a quar- 17 antine, practicing social distancing, or otherwise unable to 18 leave home, due to the emergency. 19 SEC. 3. CONGREGATE NUTRITION SERVICES CRITERIA AP- 20 PLICABLE UNDER THE OLDER AMERICANS 21 ACT OF 1965 DURING FISCAL YEAR 2020 TO 22 RESPOND TO THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH 23 EMERGENCY. 24 If a State demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the As- 25 sistant Secretary (as defined in section 102 of the Older 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:30 Mar 31, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6313.IH H6313 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 6313 IH Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3002), that funds re- 1 ceived by the State and attributable to funds appropriated 2 under paragraph (1) or (2) of section 303(b) of the Older 3 Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3023(b)), including 4 funds transferred under subparagraph (A) of paragraph 5 (4) of such section without regard to the exception refer- 6 ring to subparagraph (B) specified in such subparagraph 7 (A), for fiscal year 2020 are insufficient to satisfy the need 8 for services under subpart I or subpart II of part C of 9 title III of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 10 3030d–2 et seq.) in fiscal year 2020 during the COVID- 11 19 public health emergency declared under section 319 of 12 the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d), the As- 13 sistant Secretary shall allow State and area agencies on 14 aging, without prior approval, to transfer up to 100 per- 15 cent of the funds so received between subpart 1 and sub- 16 part 2 of such part C for use the State or area agency 17 on aging considers appropriate to meet the needs of the 18 area served. 19 SEC. 4. WAIVER. 20 To facilitate implementation of subparts 1 and 2 of 21 part C of title III of the Older Americans Act of 1965 22 (42 U.S.C. 3030e et seq.) during any portion of the 23 COVID-19 public health emergency declared under section 24 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:30 Mar 31, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6313.IH H6313 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 6313 IH that occurs in the period beginning on the date of the en- 1 actment of this Act and ending on September 31, 2020, 2 the Assistant Secretary for Aging shall waive the require- 3 ments for emergency meals to comply with the require- 4 ments of clauses (i) and (ii) of section 339(2)(A) of the 5 Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3030g– 6 21(2)(A)). 7 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:30 Mar 31, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6313.IH H6313 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS