United States HR 6865: Home Visiting Resiliency in Pandemics Act

Bill Text

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116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION H. R. 6865
To provide emergency assistance to families through home visiting programs
in response to the COVID–19 pandemic.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 14, 2020
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois (for himself and Ms. CASTOR of Florida) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways
and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce,
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
A BILL
To provide emergency assistance to families through home
visiting programs in response to the COVID–19 pandemic.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Home Visiting Resil-4
iency in Pandemics Act’’. 5
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SEC. 2. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES THROUGH 1
HOME VISITING PROGRAMS. 2
(a) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of section 511 of the 3
Social Security Act, during the period that begins on Feb-4
ruary 1, 2020, and ends January 31, 2021— 5
(1) a virtual home visit shall be considered a 6
home visit; 7
(2) funding for, and staffing levels of, a pro-8
gram conducted pursuant to such section shall not 9
be reduced on account of reduced enrollment in the 10
program; and 11
(3) funds provided for such a program may be 12
used— 13
(A) to train home visitors in conducting a 14
virtual home visit and in emergency prepared-15
ness and response planning for families served; 16
(B) for the acquisition by families enrolled 17
in the program of such technological means as 18
are needed to conduct and support a virtual 19
home visit; 20
(C) to provide emergency supplies (such as 21
diapers, formula, non-perishable food, water, 22
hand soap and hand sanitizer) to families 23
served; and 24
(D) to provide prepaid debit cards to an el-25
igible family (as defined in section 511(k)(2) of 26
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such Act) for the purpose of enabling the family 1
to meet the emergency needs of the family. 2
(b) VIRTUAL HOME VISIT DEFINED.—In subsection 3
(a), the term ‘‘virtual home visit’’ means a visit that is 4
conducted solely by electronic means. 5
(c) AUTHORITY TO DELAY DEADLINES.— 6
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 7
Human Services may extend the deadline by which 8
a requirement of section 511 of the Social Security 9
Act must be met, by such period of time as the Sec-10
retary deems appropriate. 11
(2) GUIDANCE.—The Secretary shall provide to 12
eligible entities funded under section 511 of the So-13
cial Security Act information on the parameters 14
used in extending a deadline under paragraph (1) of 15
this subsection. 16
(d) SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION.—In addition 17
to amounts otherwise appropriated, out of any money in 18
the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appro-19
priated, there are appropriated to the Secretary of Health 20
and Human Services $100,000,000, to enable eligible enti-21
ties to conduct programs funded under section 511 of the 22
Social Security Act pursuant to this section, which shall 23
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remain available for obligation not later than January 31, 1
2021. 2
Æ
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