[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3476 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3476

 To provide for unemployment benefits to workers affected by the 2019 
                           Novel Coronavirus.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 12, 2020

Mr. Peters (for himself, Mr. Daines, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. 
Hirono, Mr. Romney, Mr. Schatz, and Mr. Young) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland 
                   Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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) Authority.--In any emergency declared by the President under 
section 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191) related to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, 
in addition to the assistance authorized by section 502 of such Act, 
the President may provide assistance under section 410 of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 5177) for unemployment and lost wages, including by expanding 
the eligibility for assistance in accordance with subsection (d).
    (c) Application to Major Disaster Declarations.--For any major 
disaster declared under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191) for the 2019 Novel 
Coronavirus, the expanded eligibility criteria in subsection (d) shall 
apply.
    (d) 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.
    (e) 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.
    (f) 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.
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