Connecting Communities to Grant Opportunities Act of 2020

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 7921 To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to community-based nonprofit organizations to operate navigator pro- grams, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JULY 31, 2020 Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform A BILL To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to community-based nonprofit organiza- tions to operate navigator programs, and for other pur- poses. 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 ‘‘Connecting Commu- 4 nities to Grant Opportunities Act of 2020’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:19 Aug 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7921.IH H7921 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 7921 IH SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS 1 PROVIDING CERTAIN SERVICES AS A RESULT 2 OF PANDEMIC-RELATED PROGRAMS. 3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 4 Human Services, in collaboration with the Secretary of 5 Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Labor, 6 and the Administrator of the Small Business Administra- 7 tion, shall award grants to community-based nonprofit or- 8 ganizations to operate a navigator program. 9 (b) NAVIGATOR PROGRAMS.—A navigator program 10 shall consist of recruiting, training, assigning, and employ- 11 ing eligible navigators to facilitate application for, or pro- 12 curement of, eligible benefits during the emergency period, 13 including by performing any of the following: 14 (1) Acting as contacts, including by assisting in 15 the application for any eligible benefit provided to 16 individuals, families, or small business concerns. 17 (2) Screening individuals, families, or small 18 business concerns that are potentially eligible, but 19 currently not receiving, an eligible benefit. 20 (3) Coordinating with appropriate Federal 21 agencies to distribute materials relating to eligible 22 benefits. 23 (4) Conducting ongoing outreach to populations 24 regarding eligible benefits. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:19 Aug 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7921.IH H7921 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 7921 IH (c) APPLICATION.—To seek a grant under this sec- 1 tion, a community-based nonprofit organization shall sub- 2 mit an application to the Secretary— 3 (1) containing such agreements, assurances, 4 and information, and submitted in such form and 5 manner, as the Secretary may require; 6 (2) including a complete description of the or- 7 ganization’s plan for the operation of a navigator 8 program, including— 9 (A) a description of the training program 10 to be implemented for navigator personnel; 11 (B) a plan for publicizing the availability 12 of the navigator services to be provided; 13 (C) a plan for providing service to non- 14 English speaking persons seeking navigator 15 services that— 16 (i) is based on data from the Bureau 17 of the Census, is consistent with the demo- 18 graphics of the local areas where the navi- 19 gator program will operate, and outlines 20 which languages are most prevalent and 21 commonly requested in such areas for 22 translation services; or 23 (ii) is based on qualitative and quan- 24 titative observation from community serv- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:19 Aug 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7921.IH H7921 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 7921 IH ice providers, including providers of health 1 and mental health services, social services, 2 transportation, and other relevant commu- 3 nity services; and 4 (D) a plan for facilitating access to naviga- 5 tors by persons with hearing impairments; 6 (3) explaining the organization’s inability to op- 7 erate the navigator program without Federal assist- 8 ance; and 9 (4) providing assurances that the organization 10 will, to the extent practicable, seek, recruit, and hire 11 navigators who are members of racial and ethnic mi- 12 nority groups and women in order to increase diver- 13 sity within the navigator program. 14 (d) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec- 15 tion, the Secretary shall give priority to applicants that 16 demonstrate— 17 (1) an intent to provide navigator programs in 18 or serving residents living in a qualified census tract, 19 as defined in section 42(d)(5)(B)(ii)(I) of the of the 20 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 21 42(d)(5)(B)(ii)(I)); and 22 (2) that the applicant has previous experience 23 in providing services to such residents. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:19 Aug 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7921.IH H7921 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 7921 IH (e) RENEWAL OF GRANTS.—The Secretary may 1 renew a grant to a community-based nonprofit organiza- 2 tion under this section, without limitations on the duration 3 of such renewal, if the organization demonstrates that it— 4 (1) has used the funds provided to it under this 5 section in accordance with its approved application; 6 and 7 (2) has made progress in achieving the objec- 8 tives specified in the approved application. 9 (f) NO-COST EXTENSIONS.—Notwithstanding sub- 10 section (e), the Secretary may extend the period of a grant 11 under this section, without limitations as to the duration 12 of such extension, to provide additional time to complete 13 the objectives of the grant award. 14 (g) SUSPENSION OF FUNDS IN CERTAIN CASES.—If 15 the Secretary determines that the recipient of a grant 16 under this section is not in substantial compliance with 17 the terms and requirements of the grant agreement, the 18 Secretary may revoke or suspend funding for the grant, 19 in whole or in part. 20 (h) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 21 shall be construed to limit a community-based nonprofit 22 organization from receiving a grant under this section for 23 a population otherwise served by such organization with 24 other Federal funds. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:19 Aug 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7921.IH H7921 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 7921 IH (i) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.— 1 (1) GRANTEE REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not 2 later than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year 3 for which a grantee receives a grant under this sec- 4 tion, the grantee shall submit to the Secretary a re- 5 port that contains an evaluation of the results of the 6 activities, including financial expenditures, made 7 during such fiscal year to carry out the program for 8 which the grant is received. 9 (2) ANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not 10 later than January 1 following the end of each fiscal 11 year for which funds are appropriated to carry out 12 this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress 13 a report describing the progress achieved through 14 programs funded through grants under this section 15 for the preceding fiscal year. 16 (j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 17 (1) The term ‘‘eligible benefit’’ means any ben- 18 efit under any of the following Acts (including the 19 amendments made by such Acts): 20 (A) The Coronavirus Preparedness and 21 Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 22 2020 (Public Law 116–123). 23 (B) The Families First Coronavirus Re- 24 sponse Act (Public Law 116–127). 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:19 Aug 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7921.IH H7921 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 7921 IH (C) The CARES Act (Public Law 116– 1 136). 2 (D) The Paycheck Protection Program and 3 Health Care Enhancement Act (Public Law 4 116–139). 5 (E) Paycheck Protection Program Flexi- 6 bility Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–142). 7 (2) The term ‘‘eligible navigator’’ means a navi- 8 gator with direct knowledge of the communities to 9 be served. 10 (3) The term ‘‘emergency period’’ means the 11 period beginning on January 31, 2020, and ending 12 on the date that is 12 months after the later of— 13 (A) the end of any emergency or disaster 14 declared by the President pursuant to the Na- 15 tional Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et 16 seq.) or the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 17 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 18 et seq.) with respect to SARS–CoV–2 or an- 19 other coronavirus with pandemic potential (in- 20 cluding any renewals thereof); and 21 (B) the end of any emergency declared by 22 the Secretary of Health and Human Services 23 pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health 24 Service Act with respect to SARS–CoV–2 or 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:19 Aug 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7921.IH H7921 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 7921 IH another coronavirus with pandemic potential 1 (including any renewals thereof). 2 (4) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 3 of Health and Human Services. 4 (k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 5 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated to 6 carry out this section $100,000,000 for each of fiscal year 7 2021 and fiscal year 2022, to remain available until ex- 8 pended. 9 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:19 Aug 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H7921.IH H7921 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS