COVID–19 Workforce Emergency Response Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6402 To provide State and local workforce systems flexibility and financial support to respond to the COVID–19 national emergency. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 26, 2020 Mr. LEVIN of Michigan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor A BILL To provide State and local workforce systems flexibility and financial support to respond to the COVID–19 national emergency. 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 ‘‘COVID–19 Workforce 4 Emergency Response Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 6 In this Act: 7 (1) CORONAVIRUS.—The term ‘‘coronavirus’’ 8 means coronavirus as defined in section 506 of the 9 Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supple- 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:39 Apr 09, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6402.IH H6402 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6402 IH mental Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116– 1 123). 2 (2) COVID–19 NATIONAL EMERGENCY.—The 3 term ‘‘COVID–19 national emergency’’ means the 4 national emergency declared by the President under 5 the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et 6 seq.) on March 13, 2020, with respect to the 7 coronavirus. 8 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 9 the Secretary of Labor. 10 (4) WIOA TERMS.—Except as otherwise pro- 11 vided, the terms in this Act have the meanings given 12 the terms in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation 13 and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102). 14 SEC. 3. WORKFORCE RESPONSE ACTIVITIES. 15 (a) IN GENERAL.—The purpose of this section is to 16 provide the increased flexibility needed for State and local 17 areas to provide continuity of services during the COVID– 18 19 national emergency. 19 (b) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Notwithstanding sec- 20 tion 128(b)(4) of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor- 21 tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3163(b)(4)), of the funds allocated 22 to a local area, including a single State local area, under 23 subtitle B of title I of such Act (29 U.S.C. 3151 et seq.) 24 that remain unobligated for program year 2019, an 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:39 Apr 09, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6402.IH H6402 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 6402 IH amount up to 20 percent may be used for the administra- 1 tive costs of carrying out local workforce investment activi- 2 ties under chapter 2 or chapter 3 of subtitle B of title 3 I of such Act (29 U.S.C. 3151 et seq.), as long as any 4 amount used under this subsection that exceeds the 5 amount authorized for administrative costs under section 6 128(b)(4)(A) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 3163(b)(4)) is used 7 to respond to the COVID–19 national emergency. 8 (c) RAPID RESPONSE ACTIVITIES.— 9 (1) STATEWIDE RAPID RESPONSE.—Of the re- 10 served by a Governor under section 128(a) of the 11 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 12 U.S.C. 3163(a)) for statewide activities that remain 13 unobligated for program year 2019, such funds may 14 be used for the statewide rapid response activities 15 described in section 134(a)(2)(A) of such Act (29 16 U.S.C. 3174(a)(2)(A)) for responding to the 17 COVID–19 national emergency. 18 (2) LOCAL BOARDS.—Of the funds reserved by 19 a Governor under section 133(a)(2) of such Act (29 20 U.S.C. 3173(a)(2)) that remain unobligated for pro- 21 gram year 2019, such funds may be distributed by 22 the Governor not later than 30 days after the date 23 of enactment of this Act to local boards most im- 24 pacted by the coronavirus, at the determination of 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:39 Apr 09, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6402.IH H6402 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 6402 IH the Governor, for rapid response activities related to 1 responding to the COVID–19 national emergency. 2 SEC. 4. NATIONAL DISLOCATED WORKER GRANTS. 3 (a) COVID–19 NATIONAL EMERGENCY RE- 4 SPONSE.— 5 (1) IN GENERAL.—From the funds made avail- 6 able under this section, the Secretary shall award 7 national dislocated worker grants in accordance with 8 section 170 of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor- 9 tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3225) to respond to the 10 COVID–19 national emergency. 11 (2) USES OF FUNDS.—Any grant awarded 12 under this section shall used for activities directly 13 supporting the response to the COVID–19 national 14 emergency, and recovery efforts related to such 15 emergency, which shall include the following: 16 (A) TRAINING AND TEMPORARY EMPLOY- 17 MENT.—Training and temporary employment to 18 respond to the COVID–19 national emergency, 19 such as positions or assignments— 20 (i) delivering medicine, food, or other 21 supplies to older individuals, individuals 22 with disabilities, and other individuals with 23 respiratory conditions and other chronic 24 medical disorders; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:39 Apr 09, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6402.IH H6402 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 6402 IH (ii) helping set up quarantine areas 1 and providing assistance to quarantined in- 2 dividuals, including transportation; 3 (iii) organizing and coordinating re- 4 covery, quarantine, or other related activi- 5 ties; 6 (iv) cleaning public buildings, public 7 transportation facilities or equipment, or 8 sanitizing quarantine or treatment areas 9 after their use, or other related cleanup or 10 sanitizing activities; and 11 (v) in the sector directly responding to 12 the COVID–19 national emergency such as 13 childcare, health care, public service, and 14 transportation. 15 (B) LAYOFF RESPONSE.—Activities re- 16 sponding to layoffs of 50 or more individuals 17 laid off by one employer, or areas where there 18 are significant layoffs that significantly increase 19 unemployment in a given community, such as in 20 the hospitality, transportation, manufacturing, 21 and retail industry sectors or occupations. 22 (b) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec- 23 tion, the Secretary shall give priority to State or local 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:39 Apr 09, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6402.IH H6402 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 6402 IH areas most impacted by the COVID–19 national emer- 1 gency as determined by the Secretary. 2 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 3 are authorized to be appropriated to carry this section 4 $345,000,000 to remain available until expended through 5 fiscal year 2022. 6 SEC. 5. GENERAL PROVISIONS. 7 (a) SUPPLEMENT AND NOT SUPPLANT.—Any funds 8 made available under this Act shall supplement and not 9 supplant State or local public funds that would, in the ab- 10 sence of the funds under this Act, be made available for 11 employment and training programs or other activities 12 funded under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 13 Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.). 14 (b) EVALUATIONS.—Each activity carried out under 15 this Act shall be subject to— 16 (1) performance accountability as described in 17 section 116 of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor- 18 tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3141); and 19 (2) rigorous evaluation using research ap- 20 proaches appropriate to the level of development and 21 maturity of the activity, including random assign- 22 ment or quasi-experimental impact evaluations, im- 23 plementation evaluations, pre-experimental studies, 24 and feasibility studies. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:39 Apr 09, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6402.IH H6402 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 6402 IH (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 1 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 2 necessary for the Secretary for the administration of this 3 Act. 4 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:39 Apr 09, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6402.IH H6402 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS