,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #fefj ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,april #ba1 #bjbj,mr4 ,garamendi 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,ms4 ,haaland1 ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee1 ,mr4 ,huffman1 ,mr4 ,casten of ,illinois1 and ,ms4 ,kuster of ,new ,hampshire7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and ,labor1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,transportation and ,infrastructure1 and ,foreign ,affairs1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to mobilize individuals in the ,united ,states in the fight against coronavirus by expanding volunteer opportunities in ,ameri,corps1 expanding employment opportunities at the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency1 and utilizing the expertise of ,peace ,corps volunteer leaders whose service ended on ,march #ae1 #bjbj1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,undertaking ,national ,initiatives to ,tackle ,epidemic ,act of #bjbj or the ,,unite ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,the outbreak of the novel coronavirus1 ,,sars-,co,v-#b1 which causes ,,covid-#ai 7referred to in this ,act as the coronavirus71 has disrupted the lives of all individuals in the ,united ,states and required enormous sacrifice4 ,in following the guidance of public health officials1 individuals in the ,united ,states have and can continue to play a key role in defeating their common1 invisible enemy4 7#b7 ,the ,corporation for ,national and ,community ,service 7referred to in this ,act as ,,cncs71 through the health1 disaster1 and poverty services administered by the ,,cncs under the #c flagship ,ameri,corps programs 7,ameri,corps ,,vista1 ,ameri,corps ,,nccc1 and ,ameri,corps ,state and ,national ,volunteers71 is uniquely positioned to aid frontline workers and communities most impacted by the coronavirus public health emergency if the ,president of the ,united ,states fully mobilizes those #c programs4 7#c7 ,the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency 7referred to in this section as ,,fema71 tasked with leading aspects of the whole-of-government response to the coronavirus outbreak1 is reportedly understaffed of those frontline workers that are essential to responding to the public health emergency4 7#d7 ,on ,march #ae1 #bjbj1 the ,peace ,corps involuntarily ended the service of approximately #g1cjj volunteers4 ,many of them acquired public health skills in countries abroad1 which may also be applied to further service in ,ameri,corps1 service in ,,fema1 or continuing service in the ,peace ,corps once operations of the ,peace ,corps are to resume4 #c4 ,sense of the ,house of ,representatives ,it is the sense of the ,house of ,representatives that-- 7#a7 the ,president should fully utilize the competencies of the ,federal ,government workforce to battle the outbreak of coronavirus1 the worst global health emergency the ,united ,states has faced in a century1 as well as make available expanded opportunities for individuals in the ,united ,states desiring to serve their country in its time of need2 7#b7 the ,president should elevate the role of ,,cncs within the whole-of-government response to the coronavirus outbreak1 including by urging its ,chief ,executive ,officer to-- 7,a7 in cooperation with the ,white ,house ,coronavirus ,task ,force1 take steps to actively encourage volunteerism and specifically encourage individuals in the ,united ,states to serve as a volunteer in an ,ameri,corps program2 and 7,b7 prioritize ,ameri,corps grants that provide assistance to those most impacted by the coronavirus public health emergency and recruit the maximum number of volunteers authorized by law1 particularly focusing on the recently unemployed2 7#c7 the ,united ,states should expand the ,cadre of ,on-,call ,response_/,recovery ,employees 7,,core7 program1 administered by the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency1 to enlist individuals in the ,united ,states to solve public health and supply-management challenges related to the coronavirus outbreak1 as well as related to wildfires1 hurricanes1 and other disasters2 and 7#d7 bolstering the number full-time positions at the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency will also expand national service opportunities for qualified individuals in the ,united ,states who have become unemployed or underemployed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak1 including the approximately #g1cjj ,peace ,corps volunteers whose service ended on ,march #ae1 #bjbj4 #d4 ,mobilizing programs in the coronavirus public health emergency 7a7 ,prioritizing certain agreements 7#a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding any provision of the ,domestic ,volunteer ,service ,act of #aigc 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #diej et seq47 or the ,national and ,community ,service ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abeja et seq471 the ,chief ,executive ,officer of ,,cncs shall1 for the period described in paragraph 7#b71 prioritize existing agreements1 or enter into new agreements1 with public and private nonprofit organizations1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 the ,director of the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention1 the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency1 and ,state governments1 that will direct volunteers in programs administered by ,,cncs to assignments that assist those individuals most impacted by the coronavirus public health emergency1 including assignments-- 7,a7 providing support services to veterans1 homeless populations1 the elderly1 and other individuals who may be most vulnerable during the coronavirus public health emergency2 7,b7 supporting health care professionals and related positions2 7,c7 offering before- and after-school tutoring and instruction for children in low-income areas1 including through remote learning2 7,d7 enabling children to access remote learning by performing technology consults for their families remotely and at home2 and 7,e7 performing other functions consistent with addressing the coronavirus public health emergency4 7#b7 ,period ,the period described in this paragraph-- 7,a7 shall begin on the date of enactment of this ,act2 and 7,b7 shall end-- 7i7 not earlier than the date of the conclusion of the coronavirus public health emergency2 and 7ii7 not later than #b years after the conclusion of such emergency4 7b7 ,authorization for additional recruitment of ,ameri,corps volunteers 7#a7 ,in general 7,a7 ,increase in number of positions ,section #aba7;f77#a77;,b7 of the ,national and ,community ,service ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abega7;f77#a77;,b77 is amended-- 7i7 in clause 7vi71 by striking and at the end2 7ii7 in clause 7vii71 by adding and at the end2 and 7iii7 by adding at the end the following3 7viii7 #ejj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbj through #bjbb2 4 7,b7 ,reauthorizations 7i7 ,ameri,corps vista ,section #eja7;a77#a7 of the ,domestic ,volunteer ,service ,act of #aigc 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ejha7;a77#a77 is amended by striking #ajj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjaj and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years #bjaa through #bjad and inserting such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years #bjbj through #bjbb4 7ii7 ,ameri,corps ,,nccc ,section #eja7;a77#a7 of the ,national and ,community ,service ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abfha7;a77#a77 is amended-- 7,i7 by striking clauses 7i7 and 7ii72 and 7,,ii7 by striking title ,i-- and inserting title ,i1 such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years #bjbj through #bjbb44 7iii7 ,ameri,corps ,state and national volunteers ,section #eja7;a77#b7 of the ,national and ,community ,service ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abfha7;a77#b77 is amended by striking #bjaj through #bjad and inserting #bjbj through #bjbb4 7#b7 ,requirement ,to fulfill the purposes of subsection 7a71 the ,chief ,executive ,officer of ,,cncs shall expedite the recruitment and selection of volunteers who are-- 7,a7 unemployed veterans2 7,b7 individuals who become unemployed or underemployed as a result of the coronavirus public health emergency2 and 7,c7 ,ameri,corps members1 or ,peace ,corps volunteers1 who have had their service ended as a result of such emergency4 7c7 ,briefing to ,congress ,not later than #cj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and every #ahj days thereafter1 the ,chief ,executive ,officer of ,,cncs shall submit a report1 to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,education and ,labor of the ,house of ,representatives1 on the operating plan of the ,,cncs to carry out subsections 7a7 and 7b71 including the amendments under subsection 7b74 7d7 ,enhanced stipend ,section #aje7;b77#b77;,a7 of the ,domestic ,volunteer ,service ,act of #aigc 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #diee7;b77#b77;,a77 is amended to read as follows3 7,a7 beginning for fiscal year #bjbj1 the minimum allowance is not less than an amount equal to not less than #bjj percent of the income official poverty line 7as defined by the ,office of ,management and ,budget1 and revised annually in accordance with section #fgc7b7 of the ,community ,services ,block ,grant ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #iijb7b777 applicable to a family of #a2 and 4 7e7 ,coronavirus public health emergency defined ,in this section1 the term coronavirus public health emergency means the public health emergency declared by the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services under section #cai of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;d7 on ,january #ca1 #bjbj1 with respect to ,,covid-#ai4 #e4 ,authorization for surge capacity for ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency 7a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency shall appoint1 administer1 and expedite the training of an additional #aj1jjj ,cadre of ,on-,call ,response_/,recovery ,employees1 under the ,response and ,recover ,directorate 7referred to in this section as ,,core employees7 under the ,office of ,response and ,recovery1 above the level of such employees in fiscal year #bjai1 to address the coronavirus public health emergency4 7b7 ,detail of ,,core employees ,a ,,core employee may be detailed1 through mutual agreement1 to any ,federal agency that is a participating agency in the ,white ,house ,coronavirus ,task ,force1 to fulfill an assignment for the ,task ,force1 including-- 7#a7 logistical support for the supply chain of medical equipment2 7#b7 tracing contacts of infected individuals and their status while being quarantined2 7#c7 providing nutritional assistance to vulnerable populations2 and 7#d7 administrative duties such as staffing call centers to disseminate public-health related information to the public4 7c7 ,requirement ,as soon as feasible1 the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency shall make public job announcements to fill the ,,core employee positions authorized under subsection 7a71 which shall prioritize hiring from among the following groups of individuals3 7#a7 ,unemployed veterans of the ,armed ,forces4 7#b7 ,individuals who have become unemployed or underemployed as a result of the coronavirus public health emergency4 7#c7 ,ameri,corps members1 or ,peace ,corps ,volunteers1 who have had their service ended as a result of the coronavirus public health emergency4 7d7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years #bjbj1 #bjba1 and #bjbb to carry out this section4 7e7 ,coronavirus public health emergency defined ,in this section1 the term coronavirus public health emergency has the meaning given the term in section #d7;e74 #f4 ,peace ,corps volunteer reenrollment eligibility and transition assistance 7a7 ,assistance for ,peace ,corps volunteers whose service ended involuntarily ,notwithstanding section #e of the ,peace ,corps ,act 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bejd71 with respect to all of the ,peace ,corps volunteers whose service ended involuntarily on ,march #ae1 #bjbj 7or earlier1 in the case of volunteers who were serving ,china and ,mongolia71 when the ,director of the ,peace ,corps suspended all volunteer operations due to the coronavirus public health emergency1 the ,director of the ,peace ,corps shall-- 7#a7 continue to provide the health care described in section #e7;e7 of such ,act to the volunteer during the #f-month period beginning on ,march #ae1 #bjbj1 to supplement the benefits to which the volunteer is otherwise entitled under section #e of such ,act2 7#b7 waive all nonmedical application requirements for the reenrollment of the volunteer during the #a-year period beginning on ,march #ae1 #bjbj2 7#c7 expedite the medical clearance for such volunteer to facilitate reenrollment2 7#d7 permit the volunteer1 to the extent possible1 to resume the activity in which the volunteer had been serving at the time of his or her involuntarily end of service or any other activity1 by mutual agreement2 and 7#e7 provide the volunteer1 beginning on the date of reenrollment1 with the compensation1 allowances1 benefits1 and other terms and conditions of service to which the volunteer is entitled under such ,act4 7b7 ,report on restart of ,peace ,corps operations following end of public health emergency ,not later than #cj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,director of the ,peace ,corps shall submit a report to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives that describes the efforts of the ,peace ,corps-- 7#a7 to offer reenrollment to each ,peace ,corps volunteer whose service ended involuntarily on ,march #ae1 #bjbj 7or earlier1 in the case of volunteers who were serving ,china and ,mongolia71 due to the coronavirus public health emergency2 7#b7 to obtain approval from countries1 as necessary1 to return reenrolled volunteers to their previous assignments2 and 7#c7 to identify the anticipated additional appropriations or new statutory authorities that would be necessary to achieve the goal of safely redeploying #g1cjj ,peace ,corps volunteers during the #a-year period beginning on the date on which ,peace ,corps operations resume4