[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7317 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7317
To authorize a public service announcement campaign on the efficacy of
cloth face coverings in reducing the spread of COVID-19, to authorize a
program to provide cloth face coverings to any American who requests
one free of charge, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 24, 2020
Mr. Schiff (for himself, Ms. Norton, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mrs. Dingell,
Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Casten of Illinois, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Grijalva, Mr.
Carson of Indiana, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Sires, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Gallego,
Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Sewell of Alabama, Mr. Garcia of Illinois,
Mr. Raskin, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Ruppersberger, Mr.
Moulton, Mr. Cardenas, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Soto, Mr. Price of North
Carolina, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Vela, Ms. Haaland, Mr. Payne, Ms. Wild, and
Ms. Scanlon) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize a public service announcement campaign on the efficacy of
cloth face coverings in reducing the spread of COVID-19, to authorize a
program to provide cloth face coverings to any American who requests
one free of charge, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Masks Work Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The SARS-CoV-2 virus has killed over 110,000 Americans
and infected at least 2,000,000 others.
(2) The measures taken to contain the virus, including
social distancing and stay at home orders, have resulted in a
significant economic disruption, causing tens of millions of
Americans to lose jobs and income.
(3) Scientific experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci,
Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases, have warned of the danger of a second wave of
infections striking the United States in fall and winter.
(4) Scientific experts within the United States Government
and elsewhere have strongly advised Americans to wear cloth
face coverings as a means to slow the spread of COVID-19 and
have stated that wearing cloth face coverings may reduce the
spread of respiratory droplets that may carry the disease.
(5) There is a growing body of scientific research
indicating that high levels of cloth face covering adoption by
a population can reduce transmission of the virus, and may
prevent asymptomatic or presymptomatic carriers from
unknowingly infecting others.
(6) One scientific model estimated that if 80 percent of
the population adopted proper face covering use, transmission
would be \1/12\ what it would be in a population without
wearing cloth face coverings. Another newly released study
conducted with animals found that face coverings reduced
transmission of COVID-19 by 75 percent.
(7) Nations in Southeast Asia with high levels of cloth
face covering wearing have been more effective than others in
reducing the spread of COVID-19, and have experienced
comparably fewer infections and deaths as a result.
(8) A recent study from the University of Iowa's College of
Public Health suggests that the 15 States and the District of
Columbia, having mandated wearing face coverings in public
between April 8, 2020, and May 15, 2020, averted as many as
230,000 to 450,000 COVID-19 cases.
(9) Many Americans have heeded the calls of public health
experts to wear cloth face coverings and have made major
sacrifices in other aspects of their life in order to control
the spread of the virus.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that --
(1) following the consensus advice of public health experts
to wear face coverings can meaningfully reduce transmission
rates for COVID-19, resulting in fewer deaths, fewer Americans
made seriously ill, and lower economic disruption;
(2) Americans should wear appropriate face coverings in
situations where social distancing is difficult or impossible,
particularly in indoors environments, both to protect
themselves and to protect older Americans or others with health
conditions that increase the risks of serious illness due to
COVID-19; and
(3) leaders across the political spectrum should model
medically recommended behaviors by wearing face coverings
appropriately and encouraging those around them to do the same.
SEC. 4. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT CAMPAIGN.
(a) In General.--The Director of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (in this section referred to as the ``Director'') shall
carry out a public service announcement campaign campaign on
television, radio, the internet, and digital platforms, and in print
publications, informing Americans on--
(1) the efficacy of cloth face coverings; and
(2) why cloth face coverings are recommended by scientific
and medical experts to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
(b) Audience.--In carrying out the campaign under subsection (a),
the Director shall ensure that public service announcements reach as
many Americans as possible with scientifically accurate messages about
cloth face coverings.
(c) Language.--The Director shall ensure that public service
announcements under this section are provided in at least 19 languages
in addition to English, including the following:
(1) Spanish.
(2) Arabic.
(3) Cambodian.
(4) Chinese.
(5) Haitian Creole.
(6) French.
(7) Hindi.
(8) Italian.
(9) Japanese.
(10) Korean.
(11) Laotian.
(12) Russian.
(13) Tagalog.
(14) Urdu.
(15) Vietnamese.
(16) Greek.
(17) Polish.
(18) Thai.
(19) Portuguese.
(d) Grants and Contracts.--In carrying out the campaign under
subsection (a), the Director may, subject to the availability of
appropriations, award grants to, and enter into contracts with, public
and private entities (including nonprofit organizations).
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary
for fiscal years 2020 and 2021, to remain available until expended.
SEC. 5. CLOTH FACE COVERINGS FOR ALL.
(a) In General.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, the
Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as
the ``Secretary'') shall carry out a program to provide cloth face
coverings to any American who requests one free of charge by United
States mail.
(b) Requests.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall
establish procedures allowing Americans to request up to three cloth
face coverings per person in their household through the internet, by
mail, or by phone (including text messaging).
(c) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult with the Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Director of the
National Institutes of Health, and the heads of other agencies as
appropriate regarding the design and selection of cloth face coverings
to be provided under this section.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary
for fiscal years 2020 and 2021, to remain available until expended.
SEC. 6. NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH RESEARCH ON CLOTH FACE COVERING
EFFICACY.
(a) In General.--The Director of the National Institutes of Health
(in this section referred to as the ``Director'') shall conduct or
support research on the efficacy of cloth face coverings, face shields,
ventilators, and other facial coverings to reduce the spread of COVID-
19.
(b) Use of Funds.--Research under this section may include--
(1) research on the effect of wearing cloth face coverings
on the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19;
(2) research on the situations for which cloth face
coverings are scientifically indicated;
(3) research on the most effective materials or designs of
cloth face coverings; and
(4) other topics as the Director determines appropriate.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there is authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2020 through 2022, to remain available until expended.
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