COVID–19 Supply Chain Relief Act

COVID-19 Supply Chain Relief Act

This bill establishes in the Executive Office of the President an Office of Supply Chain Policy, headed by a Supply Chain Czar appointed by the President.

Such office shall

• coordinate a national response to supply chain disruptions, shortages, and increased prices;
• serve as a resource for states as they deploy unused COVID-19 relief funds to address supply chain bottlenecks; and
• appoint, oversee, and coordinate among regional supply chain leaders.

Unobligated COVID-19 relief funds may be made available to states, territories, or tribal governments to help address supply chain disruptions and labor shortages by undertaking one or more of the following:

• promoting employment in the trucking and logistics industries,
• implementing apprenticeship programs to recruit more women and military veterans to become licensed commercial motor vehicle drivers,
• undertaking port and shipping infrastructure projects, and
• providing relief from other detrimental economic impacts of supply chain disruptions.

The Department of Commerce must issue guidance, as needed, to define the scope of the allowable activities listed above.

Further, Commerce shall publish and submit to Congress a report on (1) supply chain points of congestion or blockages; (2) underlying causes of supply chain disruptions, shortages, and delays; and (3) other supply chain shortcomings which could be remedied with public or private investment.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6360 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6360

       To establish a Supply Chain Czar, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 6, 2022

Mr. Gottheimer (for himself and Mr. Reed) introduced the following bill

                            January 10, 2022

 Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to 
the Committee on Oversight and Reform, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
       To establish a Supply Chain Czar, 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 ``COVID-19 Supply Chain Relief Act''.

SEC. 2. SUPPLY CHAIN CZAR.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Executive Office of 
the President an Office of Supply Chain Policy, which shall do the 
following:
            (1) Coordinate a national response to supply chain 
        disruptions, shortages, and increased prices.
            (2) Serve as a resource for States as States deploy unused 
        COVID-19 relief funds to address supply chain bottlenecks in 
        their States.
            (3) Appoint, oversee, and coordinate among regional supply 
        chain leaders.
    (b) Appointment.--There shall be at the head of the Office a Supply 
Chain Czar, appointed by the President, who shall serve at the pleasure 
of the President.

SEC. 3. STATE USE OF COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDS FOR SUPPLY CHAIN 
              DISRUPTIONS.

    (a) In General.--The unobligated balances of amounts appropriated 
or otherwise made available under title VI of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) to any State, territory, or Tribal government 
by the amendments made by subtitle M of title IX of the American Rescue 
Plan Act of 2021 may also be made available to such State, territory, 
or Tribal government to help address supply chain disruptions and labor 
shortages by undertaking one or more of the following:
            (1) Promoting employment in the trucking and logistics 
        industries.
            (2) Implementing apprenticeship programs to recruit more 
        women and military veterans to become licensed commercial motor 
        vehicle drivers.
            (3) Undertaking port and shipping infrastructure projects.
            (4) Providing relief from other detrimental economic 
        impacts of supply chain disruptions.
    (b) Authority To Issue Guidance.--Not later than 30 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall 
issue such guidance as may be necessary to implement this section 
including, as needed, to define the scope of the allowable activities 
listed in subsection (a).

SEC. 4. DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE AND TRANSPORTATION REPORT.

    Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of the 
Treasury, shall publish and submit to Congress a report on the 
following, related to supply chains in the United States:
            (1) Points of congestion or blockages.
            (2) Underlying causes of supply chain disruptions, 
        shortages, and delays.
            (3) Other supply chain shortcomings which, with public or 
        private investment, could be remedied to result in more 
        efficient movement of goods into and within the United States.
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