Pandemic Recovery Enforcement Flexibility Act of 2020

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7923 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7923

To authorize the President to suspend or waive civil enforcement of any 
  rule for certain purposes during the coronavirus pandemic, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 4, 2020

 Mr. Comer (for himself, Mr. Higgins of Louisiana, Mr. Armstrong, Mr. 
Cloud, Ms. Foxx of North Carolina, Mr. Norman, Mr. Green of Tennessee, 
 and Mr. Keller) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                 the Committee on Oversight and Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the President to suspend or waive civil enforcement of any 
  rule for certain purposes during the coronavirus pandemic, and for 
                            other purposes.

    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 ``Pandemic Recovery Enforcement 
Flexibility Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. PRESIDENTIAL WAIVER.

    (a) In General.--During the covered period, the President may order 
the suspension or waiver of civil enforcement of any rule for any of 
the following reasons related to the response to the coronavirus 
pandemic or strengthening recovery from the pandemic:
            (1) Enforcement of the rule would unreasonably inhibit or 
        impede efforts to respond to SARS-CoV-2.
            (2) Enforcement of the rule would unreasonably inhibit or 
        impede health or economic recovery by--
                    (A) persons infected by SARS-CoV-2;
                    (B) individuals or entities that supported or 
                support persons infected by SARS-CoV-2; or
                    (C) entities that qualify as small entities within 
                the meaning of section 601(6) of title 5, United States 
                Code, and the employees, contractors, or investors of 
                those small entities.
            (3) Enforcement of the rule would otherwise unreasonably 
        inhibit or impede health, economic performance, or the 
        stability of wages or employment during the covered period, 
        including by inhibiting or impeding--
                    (A) access to health care or health care equipment 
                or supplies;
                    (B) access to employment;
                    (C) access to public or private assistance;
                    (D) consumer or business spending, investment, or 
                access to capital or credit; or
                    (E) other consumer or business activity, including 
                hiring and education or retraining.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Coronavirus pandemic.--The term ``coronavirus 
        pandemic'' means the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic of 2019-2020.
            (2) Covered period.--The term ``covered period'' means the 
        period that--
                    (A) begins on the date of the enactment of this 
                section; and
                    (B) ends on the date that is 1 year after the date 
                on which the public health emergency declared under 
                section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
                247d) as a result of the coronavirus pandemic expires, 
                or any renewal thereof.
            (3) Rule.--The term ``rule'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
    (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed 
to mean that the President lacks any other authority to suspend or 
waive enforcement of any rule.
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