,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #fcfb ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #bc1 #bjbj,ms4 ,pressley introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,financial ,services ,a ,,bill ,to authorize emergency homeless assistance grants under the ,emergency ,solutions ,grants program of the ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,development for response to the public health emergency relating to coronavirus1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,public ,health ,emergency ,shelter ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,emergency homeless assistance 7a7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated under the ,emergency ,solutions ,grants program under subtitle ,b of title ,,iv of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacga et seq47 #ae1ejj1jjj1jjj for grants under such subtitle in accordance with this section to respond to needs arising from the public health emergency relating to ,coronavirus ,disease #bjai 7,,covid-#ai74 7b7 ,formula ,notwithstanding sections #dac and #dad of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacgb1 #aacgc71 the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development 7in this ,act referred to as the ,secretary7 shall allocate amounts made available pursuant to subsection 7a7 in accordance with a formula to be established by the ,secretary that takes into consideration the following factors3 7#a7 ,risk of transmission of coronavirus in a jurisdiction4 7#b7 ,whether a jurisdiction has a high number or rate of sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals and families4 7#c7 ,economic and housing market conditions in a jurisdiction4 7c7 ,eligible activities ,in addition to eligible activities under section #dae7;a7 of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacgd7;a71 amounts made available pursuant to subsection 7a7 may also be used for costs of the following activities3 7#a7 ,providing training on infectious disease prevention and mitigation4 7#b7 ,providing hazard pay1 including for time worked before the effectiveness of this clause1 for staff working directly to prevent and mitigate the spread of coronavirus or ,,covid-#ai among people experiencing or at risk of homelessness4 7#c7 ,reimbursement of costs for eligible activities 7including activities described in this paragraph7 relating to preventing1 preparing for1 or responding to the coronavirus or ,,covid-#ai that were accrued before the date of the enactment of this ,act4 ,use of such amounts for activities described in this paragraph shall not be considered use for administrative purposes for purposes of section #dah of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacgg74 7d7 ,inapplicability of procurement standards ,to the extent amounts made available pursuant to subsection 7a7 are used to procure goods and services relating to activities to prevent1 prepare for1 or respond to the coronavirus or ,,covid-#ai1 the standards and requirements regarding procurement that are otherwise applicable shall not apply4 7e7 ,inapplicability of habitability and environmental review standards ,any ,federal standards and requirements regarding habitability and environmental review shall not apply with respect to any emergency shelter that is assisted with amounts made available pursuant to subsection 7a7 and has been determined by a ,state or local health official1 in accordance with such requirements as the ,secretary shall establish1 to be necessary to prevent and mitigate the spread of coronavirus or ,,covid-#ai1 such shelters4 7f7 ,inapplicability of cap on emergency shelter activities ,subsection 7b7 of section #dae of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act shall not apply to any amounts made available pursuant to subsection 7a77#a7 of this section4 7g7 ,initial allocation of assistance ,section #dag7;b7 of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacgf7;b77 shall be applied with respect to amounts made available pursuant to subsection 7a7 by substituting #cj-;day for #fj-;day4 7h7 ,waivers and alternative requirements 7#a7 ,authority ,in administering amounts made available pursuant to subsection 7a71 the ,secretary may waive1 or specify alternative requirements for1 any provision of any statute or regulation 7except for any requirements related to fair housing1 nondiscrimination1 labor standards1 and the environment7 that the ,secretary administers in connection with the obligation or use by the recipient of such amounts1 if the ,secretary finds that good cause exists for the waiver or alternative requirement and such waiver or alternative requirement is consistent with the purposes described in this subsection4 7#b7 ,effectiveness2 applicability ,any such waivers shall be deemed to be effective as of the date a ,state or unit of local government began preparing for coronavirus and shall apply to the use of amounts made available pursuant to subsection 7a7 and amounts provided in prior appropriation ,acts for fiscal year #bjbj under the heading ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,development--,community ,planning and ,development--,community ,development ,fund and used by recipients for the purposes described in this subsection4 7#c7 ,notification ,the ,secretary shall notify the public through the ,federal ,register or other appropriate means #e days before the effective date of any such waiver or alternative requirement1 and any such public notice may be provided on the internet at the appropriate government website or through other electronic media1 as determined by the ,secretary4 7#d7 ,exemption ,the use of amounts made available pursuant to subsection 7a7 shall not be subject to the consultation1 citizen participation1 or match requirements that otherwise apply to the ,emergency ,solutions ,grants program1 except that a recipient shall publish how it has and will utilize its allocation at a minimum on the internet at the appropriate government website or through other electronic media4 7i7 ,inapplicability of matching requirement ,subsection 7a7 of section #daf of the ,mc,kinney-,vento ,homeless ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aacge7;a77 shall not apply to any amounts made available pursuant to subsection 7a7 of this section4 7j7 ,prohibition on prerequisites ,none of the funds authorized under this section may be used to require people experiencing homelessness to receive treatment or perform any other prerequisite activities as a condition for receiving shelter1 housing1 or other services4