[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 6, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2291-S2293]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION

      By Mr. REED:
  S. 3619. A bill to amend title II of division A of the CARES Act to 
modify certain provisions related to unemployment compensation, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today, I am introducing the Strengthening UI 
for Coronavirus Impacted Workers and Students Act. For the 30 million 
American unemployed workers, the enhanced jobless benefits created in 
the CARES Act are a lifeline. However, the Federal Pandemic 
Unemployment Compensation, which provides a $600-per-week benefit on 
top of an individual's regular unemployment insurance (UI) benefits are 
set to expire on July 31, 2020. Arbitrarily cutting these benefits off 
in the midst of an ongoing pandemic could make a desperate situation 
worse for individuals and harm the economy. Moreover, if these workers 
are prematurely pushed back into unsafe work environments, it will 
ultimately harm families, businesses, and communities.
  That is why my new legislation seeks to expand and enhance the 
unemployment insurance of the CARES Act. Specifically, this bill would 
continue to offer out-of-work Americans the $600-per-week additional 
benefit through the end of the year and make it retroactive to the date 
of the coronavirus pandemic disaster declaration date. This legislation 
would also exempt these pandemic-specific benefits from being factored 
into eligibility for means-tested programs, such as Section 8 housing, 
SNAP, TANF, and WIC. Furthermore, it would create a $300 Federal 
benefit for recent college graduates, students, and others who are 
willing and able to work absent COVID-19. but who do not have recent 
work history. Finally, this legislation would codify guidance by the 
Department of Labor requiring employees who are participating in ``work 
sharing'' programs to be able to receive the $600-per-work boost. I 
added provisions to the CARES Act to Federally finance these cost-
effective and job saving ``work sharing'' programs, which give 
struggling companies the flexibility to reduce hours instead of laying 
off their workforce, while allowing the employees to collect 
unemployment insurance on the days they are not working.
  The bill is supported by numerous organizations including the 
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations 
(AFL-CIO), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the National 
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National 
Education Association (NEA), National Employment Law Project (NELP), 
National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), The Arc, United Auto 
Workers (UAW), National Alliance on Mental Illness. National 
Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, National 
Disability Rights Network, and National Women's Law Center.
  We have to be smart and this targeted, temporary measure will help 
ensure Americans who are out of work through no fault of their own can 
afford food, housing, and medicine until it is safe to go back to work. 
I am pleased to join my colleague in the other body, Representative 
Kildee, in sponsoring this legislation, and I look forward to working 
with my colleagues here and across the Capitol to secure passage of 
this important legislation.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Brown, Mr. Tester, Mr. Schatz, Mr. 
        Jones, Ms. Smith, Ms. Warren, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Warner, Mr. 
        Menendez, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Kaine, Mr. 
        Udall, Mr. Booker, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Merkley, and 
        Mr. Wyden):
  S. 3620. A bill to establish a Housing Assistance Fund at the 
Department of the Treasury; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, along with Senators Brown, Tester, Schatz, 
Jones, Smith, Warren, Sinema, Warner, Menendez, Van Hollen, Cortez 
Masto, Kaine, Udall, Booker, Feinstein, Durbin, Merkley, and Wyden, I 
am introducing legislation that would create a $75 billion Housing 
Assistance Fund that builds on the success of the Hardest Hit Fund at 
the Treasury Department that I championed in 2010.
  The Hardest Hit Fund provided funds to 18 State-level Housing Finance 
Agencies, directing targeted foreclosure prevention assistance to 
households and neighborhoods in States like Rhode Island hit hard by 
the economic and housing market downturn.
  The Housing Assistance Fund expands this model to provide a flexible 
source Federal aid to all State-level Housing Finance Agencies. This 
Federal funding could then be used to help struggling households remain 
in their homes while they search for new employment or wait to get back 
to work. Financial assistance could go towards preventing eviction, 
mortgage delinquency, default, foreclosures, or loss of utility 
services, such as water, gas, and

[[Page S2292]]

electricity. Funds could also be used to keep the Internet connected 
and remain current with property taxes.
  In the midst of responding to the coronavirus, we clearly need to do 
everything we can to help our constituents. According to CNBC, 8.7 
million jobs were lost in the Great Recession, and as of April 23, 
2020, more than 26 million Americans filed unemployment insurance 
claims in just five weeks. Just for comparative purposes, CNBC also 
reported that 22.4 million jobs were created since the Great Recession.
  This means we're facing job losses at an unprecedented scale and 
pace.
  What this also means is that we could be facing a potential wave of 
evictions and foreclosures, so there is no time to waste. We should 
respond accordingly so that more families can make it to the other side 
of this public health emergency while staying safe in their homes. This 
is precisely the goal of this Housing Assistance Fund legislation we 
are introducing today.
  I thank the National Council of State Housing Agencies; Habitat for 
Humanity; National Housing Conference; National Community Reinvestment 
Coalition; National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders; National 
Leased Housing Association; Americans for Financial Reform; National 
Consumer Law Center, on behalf of its low-income clients; Center for 
Responsible Lending; Rhode Island Housing; and the Rhode Island 
Association of Realtors for their support.
  I urge all of my colleagues to join in pressing for inclusion of the 
Housing Assistance Fund in our continued response to the coronavirus 
pandemic.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. 
        Stabenow, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Jones, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Hirono, 
        Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Smith, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Harris, and Ms. 
        Baldwin):
  S. 3634. A bill to address health workforce shortages and disparities 
highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic through additional funding for the 
National Health Service Corps and Nurse Corps; to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3634

       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 ``Health Heroes 2020 Act''.

     SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM OF THE 
                   NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS.

       (a) Additional Funding.--Section 10503(b) of the Patient 
     Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 254b-2(b)) is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)(F), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (2)(H), by striking the period and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) to be transferred to the Secretary of Health and 
     Human Services--
       ``(A) $25,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2020, to provide 
     additional funding to carry out subsection (i) of section 
     338A of the Public Health Service Act and the National Health 
     Service Corps Loan Program under section 338B of such Act, of 
     which--
       ``(i) $15,000,000,000 shall be allocated to the program 
     under section 338A; and
       ``(ii) $10,000,000,000 shall be allocated to the program 
     under such section 338B; and
       ``(B) $690,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 
     2026, to provide additional amounts to carry out the National 
     Health Service Corps Scholarship Program under section 338A 
     of the Public Health Service Act, the National Health Service 
     Corps Loan Repayment Program under section 338B of such Act, 
     and the reserve service program under section 338O of such 
     Act.''.
       (b) Criteria for Use of Additional Funding for In-demand 
     Professionals.--Section 338A of the Public Health Service Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 254l) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(i) Not less than 40 percent of the amounts made 
     available to carry out this section under 10503(b)(3)(A)(i) 
     of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act shall be 
     allocated to scholarships under this section for eligible 
     applicants who are members of groups that are historically 
     underrepresented in health care professions, including racial 
     and ethnic minorities and individuals from low-income urban 
     and rural communities. To carry out the requirements of this 
     subsection, the Secretary may coordinate with entities 
     receiving funding under section 739 to identify, recruit, and 
     select individuals to receive such scholarships.''.
       (c) National Health Service Corps Reserve Demonstration 
     Project.--
       (1) In general.--Subpart III of part D of title III of the 
     Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l et seq.) is amended 
     by adding at the end the following:

     ``SEC. 338O. NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS RESERVE SERVICE 
                   DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.

       ``(a) In General.--From the amounts made available under 
     section 10503(b)(3)(B) of the Patient Protection and 
     Affordable Care Act for each of fiscal years 2021 through 
     2024, the Secretary shall, to the extent permitted by, and 
     consistent with, the requirements of applicable State law, 
     use such sums as the Secretary determines necessary to 
     establish, as a demonstration project, a National Health 
     Service Corps Reserve Service (referred to in this section as 
     the `reserve service') under which a qualified individual 
     agrees to engage in service for a period specified in a 
     contract under this section in such reserve service under 
     this section.
       ``(b) Reserve Service Requirements.--An individual whose 
     obligated service under a contract under section 338A is 
     provided, pursuant to a contract under subsection (a), as 
     reserve service, and any other participating individual 
     described in subparagraph (B) of subsection (c)(2) may 
     practice a health profession in any private capacity, subject 
     to the following requirements:
       ``(1) In the event of a public health emergency declared 
     under section 319, a major disaster declared by the President 
     under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
     and Emergency Assistance Act, or an emergency declared by the 
     President under section 501 of the Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act or a national 
     emergency declared by the President under the National 
     Emergencies Act, for the duration of such emergency or 
     disaster, such individual shall be subject to serve in such 
     capacity as the Secretary shall determine appropriate to 
     carry out the purposes of this section, and in accordance 
     with the Secretary's plan to increase surge capacity in 
     response to public health emergencies or disasters. Such 
     service may be furnished in coordination with the Corps 
     described in section 204, a State, territorial, or local 
     public health department, or through the process described in 
     section 319(e).
       ``(2) Not less frequently than 2 days each month, and for a 
     total of not fewer than 30 days each year, as directed by the 
     Secretary, such individual shall--
       ``(A) conduct trainings on public health preparedness and 
     response activities, which may be in coordination with the 
     State, territorial, or local health department; or
       ``(B) furnish health care services to low-income 
     individuals in a health professional shortage area (as 
     defined under section 332(a)), a medically underserved 
     population (as defined under section 330(b)(3)), or a 
     medically underserved area or area at high risk of a public 
     health emergency as designated by the Secretary.
       ``(c) Qualified Individuals.--An individual may be eligible 
     to participate in the reserve service under this section if 
     such individual meets one of the following criteria:
       ``(1) An individual participating in the Scholarship 
     Program under section 338A may satisfy the obligated service 
     requirement under such program if the individual's contract 
     provides for such service.
       ``(2) An individual who participated in the Loan Repayment 
     Program under section 338B and who satisfied the obligated 
     service requirements under such program, in accordance with 
     the individual's contract.
       ``(3) An individual who--
       ``(A) did not participate in the Scholarship Program under 
     section 338A or the Loan Repayment Program under section 
     338B;
       ``(B) has a graduate degree in medicine, osteopathic 
     medicine, dentistry, or another health profession, or an 
     appropriate graduate degree from a program of behavioral or 
     mental health, or is certified as a nurse midwife, nurse 
     practitioner, or physician assistant;
       ``(C) holds a license issued by a State, the District of 
     Columbia, or a territory to practice the applicable 
     profession;
       ``(D) is otherwise qualified to practice, and has 
     experience practicing, in a profession--
       ``(i) described in section 338B(a)(1); or
       ``(ii) another high-demand health care field or specialty 
     that the Secretary identifies, through a process conducted 
     every 3 years, as a field or specialty of national priority, 
     based on relative workforce shortages, expected workforce 
     changes, or projected changes in patient needs; and
       ``(E) satisfies any other eligibility or application 
     requirements specified by the Secretary in order to 
     demonstrate the individual's qualifications.
       ``(d) Reserve Service Plan.--In carrying out this section, 
     the Secretary shall establish, in coordination with the 
     Surgeon General and State, tribal, and local health 
     departments, an action plan for the service commitments, 
     priority areas, coordination efforts, training requirements, 
     and such other considerations as the Secretary determines 
     appropriate, to ensure the complementary, additive capacity 
     of such individuals providing reserve service.
       ``(e) Contracts for Certain Participating Individuals.--An 
     individual described in subparagraph (B) of subsection (c)(2) 
     who is participating in the reserve service program under 
     this section shall receive loan repayments in an amount equal 
     to 50 percent of the amount of payments that would be 
     required with respect to a participant of the

[[Page S2293]]

     same clinical profession in the Loan Repayment Program 
     pursuant to a contract entered into at the same time under 
     section 338B(g), in a manner similar to the manner in which 
     payments are made under such section, pursuant to the terms 
     of a contract between the Secretary and such individual. The 
     Secretary shall establish a system of contracting for 
     purposes of this subsection which shall be similar to the 
     contract requirements and terms under subsections (c), (d), 
     and (f) of section 338B.
       ``(f) Report.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
     enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House 
     of Representatives a report that evaluates the demonstration 
     project established under this section, including--
       ``(1) the effects of such program on health care access, 
     public health emergency response capacity, and the provider 
     workforce pipeline; and
       ``(2) any other considerations as the Secretary determines 
     appropriate.''.
       (2) Conforming amendments.--
       (A) Scholarship program.--Section 338A of the Public Health 
     Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l) is amended--
       (i) in subsection (b)(2), by inserting ``, or be eligible 
     for, or hold, an appointment in the reserve service under 
     section 338O'' before the semicolon;
       (ii) in subsection (c)(2)(B), by inserting ``or through 
     reserve service under an agreement under section 338O'' after 
     ``section 338D''; and
       (iii) in the flush text of subsection (f)(1)(B)(v), by 
     inserting ``, including service under the reserve service in 
     accordance with section 338O, as applicable'' before the 
     semicolon at the end.
       (B) Obligated service.--Section 338C of the Public Health 
     Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254m) is amended--
       (i) in subsection (a), by inserting ``or 338O'' after 
     ``section 338D''; and
       (ii) in subsection (c)--

       (I) in paragraph (1), by striking ``, or'' and inserting a 
     semicolon;
       (II) in paragraph (2), by striking ``agreement,'' and 
     inserting ``agreement; or''; and
       (III) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:

       ``(3) in the case of an individual who enters into an 
     agreement with the Secretary under section 338O, on the date 
     specified in such agreement,''.

     SEC. 3. FUNDING FOR THE NURSE CORPS SCHOLARSHIP AND LOAN 
                   REPAYMENT PROGRAM.

       (a) Funding.--There are hereby appropriated, out of amounts 
     in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $5,000,000,000 
     for fiscal year 2020, for purposes of carrying out section 
     846 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 297n), to 
     remain available until expended, except that--
       (1) of the amount appropriated under this heading and made 
     available for scholarships, not less than 40 percent shall be 
     allocated to scholarships for eligible applicants who are 
     members of groups that are historically underrepresented in 
     health care professions, including racial and ethnic 
     minorities and individuals from low-income urban and rural 
     communities; and
       (2) to carry out the requirements of paragraph (1), the 
     Secretary may coordinate with entities receiving funding 
     under section 821 to identify, recruit, and select 
     individuals to receive such scholarships.
       (b) Emergency Designation.--
       (1) In general.--The amounts provided by this section are 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     4(g) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 
     933(g)).
       (2) Designation in senate.--In the Senate, this section is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     4112(a) of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.

     SEC. 4. FLEXIBILITY FOR MEMBERS OF NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE 
                   CORPS DURING EMERGENCY PERIODS.

       Section 333 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     254f) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(f) During any public health emergency declared by the 
     Secretary under section 319, the Secretary may, 
     notwithstanding any other provision of this section, assign 
     Corps members, with the voluntary agreement of such Corps 
     members, to provide such health services at such places, and 
     for such number of hours, as the Secretary determines 
     necessary to respond to such emergency, provided that the 
     total number of hours required are the same as were required 
     of such members prior to the change of assignment.''.

                          ____________________