[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 49 (Friday, March 13, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H1675]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DECLARING A NATIONAL EMERGENCY CONCERNING THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 
 (COVID-19) OUTBREAK--MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 
                         (H. DOC. NO. 116-108)

  The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message 
from the President of the United States; which was read and, together 
with the accompanying papers, referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means, and ordered to be 
printed:

To the Congress of the United States:
  Pursuant to section 201 of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 
1621), I hereby report that I have exercised my authority to declare 
that the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the United 
States constitutes a national emergency. This declaration invokes 
section 1135 of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 1320b-5, to allow 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services to exercise the authority 
under that section to temporarily waive or modify certain requirements 
of the Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children's Health Insurance 
programs and of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 
Privacy Rule throughout the duration of the public health emergency 
declared in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
  I am enclosing a copy of the proclamation I have issued.
                                                     Donald J. Trump.  
The White House, March 13, 2020.

                          ____________________