,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ffhg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #a1 #bjbj,ms4   
,ocasio-,cortez introduced the following
 bill2 which was referred to the        
,committee on ,transportation and       
,infrastructure1 and in addition to the 
,committee on the ,budget1 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 amend the ,robert ,t4    
,stafford ,disaster ,relief and         
,emergency ,assistance ,act to provide  
assistance to individuals affected by a 
pandemic1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,pandemic ,disaster ,assistance ,act
 of #bjbj4  #b4 ,assistance for         
pandemics ,the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford    
,disaster ,relief and ,emergency        
,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et
 seq47 is amended-- 7#a7 in section     
#ajb7a7 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eabb7a771 by    

inserting or pandemic after catastrophe2
  7#b7 in section #cja 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#eada71 by inserting or an emergency due
 to a pandemic after major disaster each
 place the term appears2  7#c7 in       
section #djh7;e7 7#db ,u4,s4,c4         
#eagd7;e771 by inserting or an emergency
 due to a pandemic after major disaster 
each place the term appears2  7#d7 in   
section #daj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagg7--    
7,a7 in subsection 7a71 by inserting or 
an emergency due to a pandemic after    
major disaster each place the term      
appears2 and  7,b7 by adding at the end 
the following3  7c7 ,assistance during a
 pandemic ,in the case of an emergency  
due to a pandemic-- 7#a7 assistance     
authorized under this section shall be  
made available to an individual         
regardless of whether the individual is 
entitled to any other unemployment      
compensation 7as that term is defined in
 section #he7;b7 of the ,internal       
,revenue ,code of #aihf72 and  7#b7 the 
minimum weekly benefit shall be #a4e    

times the national average ,state       
unemployment compensation weekly benefit
 for the previous year4  2  7#e7 in     
section #dab 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagi7--    
7,a7 by inserting or an emergency due to
 a pandemic after major disaster each   
place the term appears2  7,b7 in        
subsection 7a7 by inserting without     
regard to regular allotments after the  
reference to the ,food and ,nutrition   
,act2 and  7,c7 by adding at the end the
 following3  7d7 ,assistance during a   
pandemic ,in the case of an emergency   
due to a pandemic1 for purposes of      
providing benefits under this section1  
the ,secretary of ,agriculture shall    
remove or delay the requirement of an   
in-person interview and if an interview 
occurs1 provide an alternative to the   
in-person interview requirement for all 
applicants4 ,assistance shall be        
provided based on need and not lost     
provisions4  2 and  7#f7 in section     
#ejb7;a7 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaib7;a77--    
7,a7 in paragraph 7#g71 by striking and 

at the end2  7,b7 in paragraph          
7#h77;,b71 by striking the period at the
 end and inserting a semicolon2 and     
7,c7 by adding at the end the following3
  7#i7 provide unemployment assistance  
in accordance with section #daj2 and    
7#aj7 provide assistance in accordance  
with section #dab4  4  #c4 ,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 #b7e7 and section #b7d71    
respectively4 ,provided1 that such      
amount is designated by the ,congress as
 being for an emergency requirement     
pursuant to ,section                    
#bea7;b77#b77;,a77i7 of the ,balanced   
,budget and ,emergency ,deficit ,control
 ,act of #aihe4