Coronavirus Worker Relief Act
This bill provides for unemployment benefits to workers affected by the coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19).
If the President issues an emergency declaration or major disaster declaration due to the coronavirus for a state or Indian tribe, the declaration shall be deemed to be a major disaster for the purpose of carrying out provisions regarding unemployment assistance.
An individual in an area for which such a declaration is declared shall be eligible for unemployment assistance if he or she
The assistance authorized for a week of unemployment shall be not less than the weekly amount authorized under the unemployment compensation law of the state for which the disaster declaration was issued.
The state unemployment compensation requirement that an individual be able to work, available to work, and actively seeking work shall not apply. Compensation shall be made to an individual otherwise eligible without any waiting period.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6207 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6207
To provide for unemployment benefits to workers affected by the 2019
Novel Coronavirus.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 11, 2020
Mr. Kilmer (for himself, Ms. Herrera Beutler, and Mr. Rutherford)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for unemployment benefits to workers affected by the 2019
Novel Coronavirus.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Coronavirus Worker Relief Act''.
SEC. 2. EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS OR DISASTER DECLARATIONS FOR
CORONAVIRUS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section, the definitions in section 102
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
(42 U.S.C. 5122) shall apply.
(b) Emergency Declarations or Disaster Declarations for 2019 Novel
Coronavirus.--If the President issues an emergency declaration or
disaster declaration for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus for a State or
Indian Tribe under section 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191), the emergency
declaration or disaster declaration shall be deemed to be a major
disaster declared by the President for the purpose of carrying out
section 410 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5177).
(c) Additional Eligibility Criteria.--In addition to the
eligibility criteria for individuals established under section 410 of
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42
U.S.C. 5177), individuals in an area for which an emergency declaration
or disaster declaration for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus described in
subsection (b) is declared shall be eligible for unemployment
assistance under such section 410 if--
(1) the individual has experienced a week of unemployment
in the area with an active emergency declaration or disaster
declaration for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, and as a result of
the 2019 Novel Coronavirus;
(2) the individual has good cause to voluntarily reduce
regular work hours or refuse a bona fide offer of employment,
or, in the case of an unemployed self-employed individual,
refuse to resume or commence suitable self-employment, for a
reason such as illness or incapacity, family crises, or changed
individual or family circumstances in the area for which the
emergency declaration or disaster declaration was issued, and
as a result of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus; or
(3) the individual is unable to work due to the result of
the immediate Federal, State, Tribal, or local government
response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, such as--
(A) the inaccessibility of the place of employment
in the area for which the emergency declaration or
disaster declaration was issued due to closure of the
place of employment by or at the request of the
Federal, State, Tribal, or local government as a result
of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus; or
(B) the employer of the individual, or the business
in the case of a unemployed self-employed individual,
prior to the emergency declaration or disaster
declaration being issued, received at least a
significant amount of the revenue or income of the
employer or business, as the case may be, from entities
that--
(i) are located in the area for which the
emergency declaration or disaster declaration
was issued; and
(ii) were closed by the Federal, State,
Tribal, or local government in immediate
response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
(d) Minimum Amount of Assistance.--The assistance authorized under
this section for a week of unemployment shall be not less than the
weekly amount authorized under the unemployment compensation law of the
State for which the emergency declaration or disaster declaration was
issued.
(e) Waiver of State Requirements.--Notwithstanding State law, for
purposes of assistance authorized under this section--
(1) the requirement that an individual be able to work,
available to work, and actively seeking work shall not apply;
and
(2) compensation under section 410 of Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5177)
shall be made to an individual otherwise eligible for such
compensation without any waiting period.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line