1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Pandemic Disaster Assistance Act of 2020”.
Pandemic Disaster Assistance Act of 2020
A BILL
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to provide assistance to individuals affected by a pandemic, and for other purposes.
2. Assistance for pandemics
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) is amended—
in section 102(1) (42 U.S.C. 5122(1)), by inserting “or pandemic” after “catastrophe”;
in section 301 (42 U.S.C. 5141), by inserting “or an emergency due to a pandemic” after “major disaster” each place the term appears;
in section 408(e) (42 U.S.C. 5174(e)), by inserting “or an emergency due to a pandemic” after “major disaster” each place the term appears;
in section 410 (42 U.S.C. 5177)—
in subsection (a), by inserting “or an emergency due to a pandemic” after “major disaster” each place the term appears; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(c) Assistance during a pandemic—In the case of an emergency due to a pandemic—
“(1) assistance authorized under this section shall be made available to an individual regardless of whether the individual is entitled to any other unemployment compensation (as that term is defined in section 85(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986); and
“(2) the minimum weekly benefit shall be 1.5 times the national average State unemployment compensation weekly benefit for the previous year.”
in section 412 (42 U.S.C. 5179)—
by inserting “or an emergency due to a pandemic” after “major disaster” each place the term appears;
in subsection (a) by inserting “without regard to regular allotments” after the reference to the Food and Nutrition Act; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(d) Assistance during a pandemic—In the case of an emergency due to a pandemic, for purposes of providing benefits under this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall remove or delay the requirement of an in-person interview and if an interview occurs, provide an alternative to the in-person interview requirement for all applicants. Assistance shall be provided based on need and not lost provisions.”
in section 502(a) (42 U.S.C. 5192(a))—
in paragraph (7), by striking “and” at the end;
in paragraph (8)(B), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(9) provide unemployment assistance in accordance with section 410; and
“(10) provide assistance in accordance with section 412.”
3. Funding
Provided that there are hereby appropriated to the Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Labor such amounts as are necessary to carry out section 2(5) and section 2(4), respectively. Provided, that such amount is designated by the Congress as being for an emergency requirement pursuant to Section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.