,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cecd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #ai1    
#bjbj,ms4 ,harris introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,homeland
 ,security and ,governmental ,affairs   
,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 and  7,b7 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 provide an           
alternative to the in-person interview  
requirement for all applicants for such 
benefits4 ,this alternative shall be    
consistent with the alternative that is 
required to be provided for applicants  
entitled to accommodations during a     
major disaster4  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