[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3617 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3617

   To require payment of hazardous duty pay for members of the Armed 
Forces performing duty in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 6, 2020

   Ms. Ernst introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require payment of hazardous duty pay for members of the Armed 
Forces performing duty in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019, 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. HAZARDOUS DUTY PAY FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 
              PERFORMING DUTY IN RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 
              2019.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the military department concerned 
shall pay hazardous duty pay under this section to a member of a 
regular or reserve component of the Armed Forces who--
            (1) performs duty in response to the Coronavirus Disease 
        2019 (COVID-19); and
            (2) is entitled to basic pay under section 204 of title 37, 
        United States Code, or compensation under section 206 of such 
        title, for the performance of such duty.
    (b) Regulations.--Hazardous duty pay shall be payable under this 
section in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of 
Defense. Such regulations shall specify the duty in response to the 
Coronavirus Disease 2019 qualifying a member for payment of such pay 
under this section.
    (c) Amount.--The amount of hazardous duty pay paid a member under 
this section shall be such amount per month, not less than $150 per 
month, as the Secretary of Defense shall specify in the regulations 
under subsection (b).
    (d) Monthly Payment; No Proration.--
            (1) Monthly payment.--Hazardous duty pay under this section 
        shall be paid on a monthly basis.
            (2) No proration.--Hazardous duty pay is payable to a 
        member under this section for a month if the member performs 
        any duty in that month qualifying the person for payment of 
        such pay.
    (e) Months for Which Payable.--
            (1) In general.--Hazardous duty pay is payable under this 
        section for qualifying duty performed in months occurring 
        during the period--
                    (A) beginning on January 1, 2020; and
                    (B) ending on December 31, 2020.
            (2) Retroactive payment.--Hazardous duty pay under this 
        section is payable on a retroactive basis.
    (f) Construction With Other Pay.--Hazardous duty pay payable to a 
member under this section is in addition to the following:
            (1) Any other pay and allowances to which the member is 
        entitled by law.
            (2) Any other hazardous duty pay to which the member is 
        entitled under section 351 of title 37, United States Code (or 
        any other provision of law), for duty that also constitutes 
        qualifying duty for payment of such pay under this section.
    (g) Exclusion From Gross Income.--For purposes of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986, gross income shall not include any amount of 
hazardous duty pay received under this section.
    (h) Sense of Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that the 
Secretary of Defense should also authorize hazardous duty pay for 
members of the Armed Forces not under orders specific to the response 
to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 who provide--
            (1) healthcare in a military medical treatment facility for 
        individuals infected with the Coronavirus Disease 2019; or
            (2) technical or administrative support for the provision 
        of healthcare as described in paragraph (1).
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