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I
116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 7317
To authorize a public service announcement campaign on the efficacy of
cloth face coverings in reducing the spread of COVID–19, to authorize
a program to provide cloth face coverings to any American who requests
one free of charge, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 24, 2020
Mr. SCHIFF (for himself, Ms. NORTON, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mrs. DINGELL,
Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. CASTEN of Illinois, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. GRIJALVA,
Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. SIRES, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr.
GALLEGO, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Mr. GARCI´A
of Illinois, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. RUP-
PERSBERGER, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. COOPER, Mr. SOTO,
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. COHEN, Mr. VELA, Ms. HAALAND, Mr.
PAYNE, Ms. WILD, and Ms. SCANLON) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To authorize a public service announcement campaign on
the efficacy of cloth face coverings in reducing the spread
of COVID–19, to authorize a program to provide cloth
face coverings to any American who requests one free
of charge, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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•HR 7317 IH
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Masks Work Act of
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2020’’.
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
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Congress finds the following:
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(1) The SARS–CoV–2 virus has killed over
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110,000 Americans and infected at least 2,000,000
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others.
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(2) The measures taken to contain the virus, in-
9
cluding social distancing and stay at home orders,
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have resulted in a significant economic disruption,
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causing tens of millions of Americans to lose jobs
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and income.
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(3) Scientific experts, including Dr. Anthony
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Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy
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and Infectious Diseases, have warned of the danger
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of a second wave of infections striking the United
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States in fall and winter.
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(4) Scientific experts within the United States
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Government and elsewhere have strongly advised
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Americans to wear cloth face coverings as a means
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to slow the spread of COVID–19 and have stated
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that wearing cloth face coverings may reduce the
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spread of respiratory droplets that may carry the
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disease.
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•HR 7317 IH
(5) There is a growing body of scientific re-
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search indicating that high levels of cloth face cov-
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ering adoption by a population can reduce trans-
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mission of the virus, and may prevent asymptomatic
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or presymptomatic carriers from unknowingly infect-
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ing others.
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(6) One scientific model estimated that if 80
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percent of the population adopted proper face cov-
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ering use, transmission would be 1⁄12 what it would
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be in a population without wearing cloth face cov-
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erings. Another newly released study conducted with
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animals found that face coverings reduced trans-
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mission of COVID–19 by 75 percent.
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(7) Nations in Southeast Asia with high levels
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of cloth face covering wearing have been more effec-
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tive than others in reducing the spread of COVID–
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19, and have experienced comparably fewer infec-
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tions and deaths as a result.
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(8) A recent study from the University of
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Iowa’s College of Public Health suggests that the 15
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States and the District of Columbia, having man-
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dated wearing face coverings in public between April
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8, 2020, and May 15, 2020, averted as many as
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230,000 to 450,000 COVID–19 cases.
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•HR 7317 IH
(9) Many Americans have heeded the calls of
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public health experts to wear cloth face coverings
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and have made major sacrifices in other aspects of
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their life in order to control the spread of the virus.
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SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
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It is the sense of Congress that —
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(1) following the consensus advice of public
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health experts to wear face coverings can meaning-
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fully reduce transmission rates for COVID–19, re-
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sulting in fewer deaths, fewer Americans made seri-
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ously ill, and lower economic disruption;
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(2) Americans should wear appropriate face
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coverings in situations where social distancing is dif-
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ficult or impossible, particularly in indoors environ-
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ments, both to protect themselves and to protect
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older Americans or others with health conditions
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that increase the risks of serious illness due to
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COVID–19; and
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(3) leaders across the political spectrum should
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model medically recommended behaviors by wearing
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face coverings appropriately and encouraging those
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around them to do the same.
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SEC. 4. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT CAMPAIGN.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Centers for
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Disease Control and Prevention (in this section referred
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•HR 7317 IH
to as the ‘‘Director’’) shall carry out a public service an-
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nouncement campaign campaign on television, radio, the
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internet, and digital platforms, and in print publications,
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informing Americans on—
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(1) the efficacy of cloth face coverings; and
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(2) why cloth face coverings are recommended
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by scientific and medical experts to reduce the
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spread of COVID–19.
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(b) AUDIENCE.—In carrying out the campaign under
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subsection (a), the Director shall ensure that public serv-
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ice announcements reach as many Americans as possible
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with scientifically accurate messages about cloth face cov-
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erings.
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(c) LANGUAGE.—The Director shall ensure that pub-
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lic service announcements under this section are provided
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in at least 19 languages in addition to English, including
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the following:
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(1) Spanish.
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(2) Arabic.
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(3) Cambodian.
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(4) Chinese.
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(5) Haitian Creole.
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(6) French.
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(7) Hindi.
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(8) Italian.
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•HR 7317 IH
(9) Japanese.
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(10) Korean.
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(11) Laotian.
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(12) Russian.
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(13) Tagalog.
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(14) Urdu.
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(15) Vietnamese.
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(16) Greek.
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(17) Polish.
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(18) Thai.
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(19) Portuguese.
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(d) GRANTS AND CONTRACTS.—In carrying out the
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campaign under subsection (a), the Director may, subject
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to the availability of appropriations, award grants to, and
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enter into contracts with, public and private entities (in-
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cluding nonprofit organizations).
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(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry
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out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated
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such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2020 and
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2021, to remain available until expended.
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SEC. 5. CLOTH FACE COVERINGS FOR ALL.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap-
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propriations, the Secretary of Health and Human Services
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(in this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall carry
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out a program to provide cloth face coverings to any
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•HR 7317 IH
American who requests one free of charge by United
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States mail.
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(b) REQUESTS.—In carrying out this section, the
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Secretary shall establish procedures allowing Americans to
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request up to three cloth face coverings per person in their
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household through the internet, by mail, or by phone (in-
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cluding text messaging).
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(c) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall consult
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with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
9
Prevention, the Director of the National Institutes of
10
Health, and the heads of other agencies as appropriate
11
regarding the design and selection of cloth face coverings
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to be provided under this section.
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(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry
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out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated
15
such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2020 and
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2021, to remain available until expended.
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SEC. 6. NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH RESEARCH ON
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CLOTH FACE COVERING EFFICACY.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National In-
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stitutes of Health (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Di-
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rector’’) shall conduct or support research on the efficacy
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of cloth face coverings, face shields, ventilators, and other
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facial coverings to reduce the spread of COVID–19.
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•HR 7317 IH
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—Research under this section
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may include—
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(1) research on the effect of wearing cloth face
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coverings on the spread of the virus that causes
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COVID–19;
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(2) research on the situations for which cloth
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face coverings are scientifically indicated;
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(3) research on the most effective materials or
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designs of cloth face coverings; and
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(4) other topics as the Director determines ap-
10
propriate.
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(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry
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out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated
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$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2022,
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to remain available until expended.
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Æ
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