[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 352 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 352
To establish an initiative for national testing, contact tracing, and
pandemic response, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 19, 2021
Mr. Morelle (for himself and Mr. Takano) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in
addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, 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 establish an initiative for national testing, contact tracing, and
pandemic response, 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 ``Jobs to Fight COVID-19 Act of
2021''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
Except as otherwise explicitly provided, in this Act:
(1) COVID-19.--The term ``COVID-19'' means the novel
coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19).
(2) Health professional shortage area.--The term ``health
professional shortage area'' has the meaning given the term in
section 332(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
254e(a)).
(3) Medically underserved populations.--The term
``medically underserved population'' has the meaning given the
term in section 330(b)(3) of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 254b(b)(3)).
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Labor.
(5) State.--The term ``State'' refers to each of the 50
States and the District of Columbia.
(6) Territory.--The term ``territory'' means the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United
States Virgin Islands.
(7) Tribal.--The term ``Tribal'', with respect to a health
department, includes--
(A) Indian Tribes that--
(i) are operating one or more health
facilities pursuant to an agreement under the
Indian Self-Determination and Education
Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.); or
(ii) receive services from a facility
operated by the Indian Health Services; and
(B) Tribal organizations and Native Hawaiian
organizations, as such terms are defined in section 166
of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29
U.S.C. 3221), and urban Indian organizations.
SEC. 3. GRANTS TO SUPPORT PANDEMIC PUBLIC WORKS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided in this
section or section 2, the terms in this section have the
meanings given the terms in section 3 of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
(2) Apprenticeship; apprenticeship program.--The term
``apprenticeship'' or ``apprenticeship program'' means an
apprenticeship program registered under the Act of August 16,
1937 (commonly known as the ``National Apprenticeship Act'')
(50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.), including
any requirement, standard, or rule promulgated under such Act,
as such requirement, standard, or rule was in effect on
December 30, 2019.
(3) Contact tracing and pandemic response positions.--The
term ``contact tracing and pandemic response positions'' means
employment related to--
(A) contact tracing, surveillance, containment, and
mitigation activities needed to implement the national
system under section 6;
(B) other activities necessary for pandemic
response, including cleaning and mitigation activities;
and
(C) activities necessary to respond to the economic
impacts of COVID-19.
(4) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a State or territory;
(B)(i) an Indian Tribe, Tribal organization, Alaska
Native entity, or Native Hawaiian organization as such
terms are defined in section 166 of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3221); or
(ii) an Indian-controlled organization serving
Indians as defined in such section 166; or
(C) a unit of local government, if an entity
described in subparagraph (A) has not applied with
respect to the area over which the unit has
jurisdiction by the deadline required under subsection
(b)(2)(B).
(5) Eligible individual.--The term ``eligible individual''
means an individual seeking or securing employment in a contact
tracing or pandemic response position and who is served by an
eligible entity or community-based organization receiving
funding under this section.
(6) Unit of local government.--The term ``unit of local
government'' means any city, county, township, town, borough,
parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision
of a State.
(b) Grants.--
(1) In general.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations under subsection (l), the Secretary shall award
a grant to each eligible entity that submits a complete
application under subsection (c), to enable the eligible entity
to--
(A) as applicable, support the recruitment,
placement, and training of, and provide employment to,
eligible individuals seeking employment in contact
tracing and pandemic response positions; and
(B) assist with the employment transition to new
employment or education and training of individuals
employed under this section in preparation for and upon
termination of such employment.
(2) Timeline.--
(A) Deadline for secretary application
requirements.--The Secretary shall issue application
requirements under subsection (c) not later than 10
days after the date of enactment of this Act.
(B) State and tribal applications.--The deadline
for applications from eligible entities described in
subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection (a)(4) shall be
the date that is 30 days after the date the Secretary
issues application requirements under subparagraph (A).
(C) Applications for local governments serving as
eligible entities.--The deadline for applications for
grants from eligible entities described in subsection
(a)(4)(C) shall be the date that is 10 days after the
date that applications are due under subparagraph (B).
(D) Grant awards.--The Secretary shall award a
grant to an eligible entity under paragraph (1) not
later than 15 days after the date on which applications
are due under subparagraph (C).
(c) Grant Application.--An eligible entity applying for a grant
under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary, at
such time and in such form and manner as the Secretary may reasonably
require, which shall include a description of--
(1) how the eligible entity will, as applicable, support
the recruitment, placement, and training of, and provide
employment to, of eligible individuals seeking employment in
contact tracing and pandemic response positions;
(2) how the activities described in paragraph (1) will
support State efforts to address the demand for contact tracing
and pandemic response positions with respect to--
(A) the State plans referred to in the heading
``Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund'' in
title I of division B of the Paycheck Protection
Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (Public Law
116-139); and
(B) the number of eligible individuals that the
State plans to recruit, train, and employ under the
plans described in subparagraph (A);
(3) the specific strategies for recruiting, placement, and
employment of eligible individuals from or residing within the
communities in which they will work, including--
(A) plans for the recruitment of eligible
individuals to serve in contact tracing or pandemic
response positions, including dislocated workers,
individuals with barriers to employment, veterans, new
entrants in the workforce, self-employed individuals
who are unemployed as a result of COVID-19, or
underemployed or furloughed workers, who are from or
reside in or near the locality in which they will
serve, and who, to the extent practicable--
(i) have experience or a background in
industry sectors and occupations such as public
health, social services, customer service, case
management, or occupations that require related
qualifications, skills, or competencies, such
as strong interpersonal and communication
skills, needed for contact tracing or pandemic
response positions; or
(ii) seek to transition to public health
and public health related occupations upon the
conclusion of employment in contact tracing or
pandemic response positions; and
(B) how such strategies will take into account the
diversity of such community, including racial, ethnic,
socioeconomic, linguistic, or geographic diversity;
(4) the amount, timing, and mechanisms for distribution of
funds provided to local units of government or through
subgrants as described in subsection (d)(2)(A) or (e);
(5) for eligible entities described in subparagraph (A) or
(B) of subsection (a)(4), a description of how the eligible
entity will ensure the equitable distribution of funds with
respect to--
(A) geography (such as urban and rural
distribution);
(B) medically underserved populations;
(C) health professional shortage areas; and
(D) the racial and ethnic diversity of the area;
(6) for eligible entities described in subsection
(a)(4)(C), a description of how a grant to such eligible entity
would serve the equitable distribution of funds as described in
paragraph (5); and
(7) how the eligible entity will collaborate with State
boards and local boards, the unemployment compensation system
of the State, and the employment service offices (providing
services under the Wagner-Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.)) of
the State regarding the State reemployment services and
eligibility assessment activities and the activities provided
under this section.
(d) Grant Distribution.--
(1) Federal distribution.--
(A) Use of funds.--The Secretary shall use the
funds appropriated to carry out this section as
follows:
(i) Subject to clause (ii), the Secretary
shall distribute funds among eligible entities
that submit a complete application under
subsection (c) in accordance with a formula to
be established by the Secretary that--
(I) provides a minimum level of
funding to each eligible entity that
submits a complete application; and
(II) allocates additional funding
as follows:
(aa) The formula shall give
first priority based on the
number and proportion of
contact tracing or pandemic
response positions for which
the eligible entity plans to
recruit, place, train, and
employ individuals as a part of
the State strategy described in
subsection (c)(2)(A).
(bb) The formula shall give
second highest priority to
applications that will serve
States, territories, Indian
Tribes, or Native Hawaiian
populations that have the
highest unemployment rates, as
determined based on the most
recent data available.
(cc) The formula shall give
third highest priority to
applicants proposing to serve
populations in one or more
geographic regions with a high
burden of COVID-19 based on
data provided by the Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention, or other sources as
determined by the Secretary.
(dd) The formula shall give
fourth highest priority to
applicants preparing for, or
currently working to mitigate,
a COVID-19 surge in a
geographic region that does not
yet have a high number of
reported cases of COVID-19
based on data provided by the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, or other sources as
determined by the Secretary.
(ee) The formula shall give
fifth highest priority to
applicants proposing to serve
high numbers of low-income and
uninsured populations,
including medically underserved
populations, health
professional shortage areas,
racial and ethnic minorities,
or geographically diverse
areas, as determined by the
Secretary.
(ii) Not more than 2 percent of the funding
for administration of the grants and for
providing technical assistance to recipients of
funds under this section.
(B) Equitable distribution.--If the geographic
region served by one or more eligible entities
overlaps, the Secretary shall distribute funds among
such entities in such a manner that ensures equitable
distribution with respect to the factors under
subsection (c)(5).
(2) Eligible entity use of funds.--An eligible entity
described in subsection (a)(4)(A)--
(A) shall, not later than 30 days after the date on
which the entity receives grant funds under this
section, use not less than 40 percent of grant funds to
award subgrants to units of local government for the
purpose of carrying out activities described in
subsection (f);
(B) may use not more than 5 percent of such funds
to make subgrants to community-based organizations in
the service area to conduct outreach, to potential
eligible individuals, as described in subsection (e);
(C) in providing subgrants to units of local
government under subparagraph (A) and awarding
subgrants under subsection (e), shall ensure the
equitable distribution with respect to the factors
described in subsection (c)(5); and
(D) may use not more than 10 percent of the funds
awarded under this section for the administrative costs
of carrying out the grant and for providing technical
assistance to local units of government and community-
based organizations.
(e) Outreach and Education Subgrant Authorization and Application
Process.--
(1) In general.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under
this section may use a portion of such funds to award a
subgrant to one or more community-based organizations for the
purposes of partnering with an eligible entity to conduct
outreach and education activities to inform potentially
eligible individuals about employment opportunities in contact
tracing or pandemic response positions.
(2) Application.--A community-based organization desiring a
subgrant under this subsection shall submit an application at
such time and in such manner as the eligible entity may
reasonably require, including--
(A) a demonstration of the community-based
organization's established expertise and effectiveness
in community outreach in the locality that such
organization plans to serve;
(B) a demonstration of the community-based
organization's expertise in providing employment or
information to the locality in which such organization
plans to serve; and
(C) a description of the expertise of the
community-based organization in utilizing culturally
competent and multilingual strategies in the provision
of services.
(f) Eligible Activities.--An eligible entity receiving a grant, or
a unit of local government receiving a subgrant from an eligible
entity, under this section shall use such grant or subgrant funds--
(1) to support the recruitment and placement of eligible
individuals;
(2) to employ eligible individuals in contact training or
pandemic response positions;
(3) to support the training and employment transition as
related to contact tracing or pandemic response positions;
(4) for the following activities:
(A) Establishing or expanding training partnerships
with--
(i) community-based health providers,
including community health centers and rural
health clinics;
(ii) labor organizations or joint labor
management organizations;
(iii) 2-year and 4-year institutions of
higher education (as defined in section 101 of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001)), including institutions eligible to
receive funds under section 371(a) of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1067q(a)); and
(iv) community action agencies or other
community-based organizations serving
localities in which there is a demand for
contact tracing or pandemic response positions.
(B) Providing training for contact tracing or
pandemic response positions in coordination with State,
local, Tribal, or territorial health departments that
is consistent with the State or territorial testing and
contact tracing strategy and ensuring that eligible
individuals receive compensation while participating in
such training.
(C) Providing eligible individuals with--
(i) adequate and safe equipment,
environments, and facilities for training and
supervision, as applicable;
(ii) supplies and equipment needed by the
program participants to support placement of an
individual in contact tracing or pandemic
response positions, as applicable; and
(iii) services for the period during which
the individual is employed in a contact tracing
or pandemic response position to ensure job
retention, which may include--
(I) supportive services throughout
the term of employment; or
(II) a continuation of skills
training as related to employment in a
contact tracing or pandemic response
position, that is conducted in
collaboration with the employers of
such participants; and
(5) supporting the transition and placement in unsubsidized
employment for eligible individuals serving in the contact
tracing or pandemic response positions after such positions are
no longer necessary in the State or locality, which may
include--
(A) providing additional disaster relief employment
and employment and training activities described in
subparagraphs (A) and (C) of section 170(d)(1) of the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3225(d)(1)) and services described in section 7(a)(1)
of the Wagner-Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. 49f(a)(1));
(B) providing services to assist eligible
individuals in maintaining employment for not less than
12 months after the completion of employment in contact
tracing or pandemic response positions, as appropriate;
and
(C) assisting eligible individuals in obtaining
other employment directly with the eligible entity, or
with a unit of local government, after serving in a
contact tracing or pandemic response position supported
under this section, by paying for the costs of not more
than 10 percent of the total compensation provided by
the eligible entity or unit of local government to such
eligible individual for a period of not more than the
first year in which the individual is so employed, if
such employment is not otherwise subsidized under this
or any other Act.
(g) Requirements for Transition Back to Unemployment
Compensation.--As a condition of an eligible entity that is a State
receiving a grant under this section, the State law (as defined in
section 205 of the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act
of 1970 (26 U.S.C. 3304 note)) of the State shall, in the case of an
individual who is receiving unemployment compensation under at the time
the individual enrolls in a program funded under the grant, provide for
the following:
(1) Such individual shall be eligible to resume receiving
unemployment compensation after leaving such program if the
individual is unemployed.
(2) The amount of the weekly benefit amount for such
individual shall be the greater of--
(A) the weekly benefit amount such individual was
receiving when such individual entered the program; or
(B) a weekly benefit amount that is determined
based on such individual's earnings from employment
under the program.
(h) Limitations.--
(1) Extension of period for contact tracing or pandemic
response positions.--A person may be employed in a contact
tracing or pandemic response position using funds under this
section for a period not greater than 2 years.
(2) Prohibition of displacement.--An individual placed in a
contact tracing or pandemic response position under this
section shall not displace (including a partial displacement,
such as a reduction in the hours of nonovertime work, wages, or
employment benefits)--
(A) any employee of the eligible entity; or
(B) any contractor, or employee of any contractor,
of the eligible entity.
(i) Reporting by the Department of Labor.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 120 days of the enactment
of this Act, and once grant funds have been expended under this
section, the Secretary shall report to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee
on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives, and
make publicly available, a report containing a description of--
(A) the number of eligible individuals recruited,
hired, and trained for contact tracing or pandemic
response positions under this section;
(B) the number of individuals successfully
transitioned to unsubsidized employment or training at
the completion of employment in contact tracing or
pandemic response positions using funds under this Act;
(C) the number of such individuals who were
unemployed prior to being hired or trained as described
in subparagraph (A);
(D) the performance of each program supported by
funds under this Act with respect to the indicators of
performance under section 116 of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3141), as
applicable;
(E) the number of individuals in unsubsidized
employment within 6 months and 1 year, respectively, of
the conclusion of employment in contact tracing or
pandemic response positions, the quarterly wages, and
number of hours worked per week, of such individuals,
and, of those individuals, the number of individuals
within a State, territorial, or local public health
department in an occupation related to public health;
and
(F) any information on how eligible entities, units
of local government, or community-based organizations
that received funding under this section were able to
support the goals of the national system for COVID-19
testing, contact tracing, surveillance, containment,
and mitigation established under section 6.
(2) Disaggregation.--All data reported under paragraph (1)
shall be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, sex, age, and, with
respect to individuals with barriers to employment,
subpopulation of such individuals, except for when the number
of participants in a category is insufficient to yield
statistically reliable information or when the results would
reveal personally identifiable information about an individual
participant.
(j) Special Rule.--Any funds used for programs under this section
that are used to fund an apprenticeship or apprenticeship program shall
only be used for, or provided to, an apprenticeship or apprenticeship
program that meets the definition of such term in subsection (a),
including any funds awarded for the purposes of grants, contracts, or
cooperative agreements, or the development, implementation, or
administration, of an apprenticeship or an apprenticeship program.
(k) Information Sharing Requirement for HHS.--The Secretary of
Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, shall provide the Secretary of
Labor, acting through the Assistant Secretary of the Employment and
Training Administration, with information on grants under section 7,
including--
(1) the formula used to award such grants to State, local,
Tribal, and territorial health departments;
(2) the dollar amounts of and scope of the work funded
under such grants;
(3) the geographic areas served by eligible entities that
receive such grants; and
(4) the number of individual to be hired in contact tracing
or pandemic response positions using such grants.
(l) Authorization of Appropriations.--Of the amounts appropriated
to carry out this Act under section 9, $100,000,000,000 shall be used
by the Secretary to carry out subsections (a) through (h).
SEC. 4. SERVICE CONTRACT ACT APPLICATION.
Contracts and grants that include contact tracing or other pandemic
response activities as part of the scope of work and that are awarded
under this Act shall require that individuals in contact tracing and
pandemic response positions are paid not less than the prevailing wage
and fringe rates required under chapter 67 of title 41, United States
Code (commonly known as the ``Service Contract Act'') for the area in
which the work is performed. To the extent that a nonstandard wage
determination is required to establish a prevailing wage for contact
tracing or pandemic response positions for purposes of this Act, the
Secretary of Labor shall issue such determination not later than 14
days after the date of enactment of this Act, based on a job
description used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
contractors or grantees performing contact tracing or pandemic response
activities for State public health agencies.
SEC. 5. AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting
through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
and in coordination with other offices and agencies, as appropriate,
shall award competitive grants or contracts to one or more public
entities to carry out multilingual and culturally appropriate awareness
campaigns. Such campaigns shall--
(1) be based on available scientific evidence;
(2) increase awareness and knowledge of COVID-19, including
countering stigma associated with COVID-19;
(3) improve information on the availability of COVID-19
diagnostic testing;
(4) promote cooperation with contact tracing efforts; and
(5) promote employment opportunities performing contact
tracing and other pandemic response activities.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Of the amounts appropriated
to carry out this Act under section 9, $5,000,000,000 shall be used by
the Secretary to carry out this section.
SEC. 6. NATIONAL SYSTEM FOR COVID-19 TESTING, CONTACT TRACING,
SURVEILLANCE, CONTAINMENT, AND MITIGATION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting
through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
and in coordination with the applicable offices of the Department of
Health and Human Services and State, local, Tribal, and territorial
health departments, shall establish and implement a nationwide
evidence-based system for--
(1) testing, contact tracing, surveillance, containment,
and mitigation with respect to COVID-19;
(2) offering guidance on voluntary isolation and quarantine
of individuals infected with, or exposed to individuals
infected with, the virus that causes COVID-19; and
(3) public reporting on testing, contact tracing,
surveillance, and voluntary isolation and quarantine activities
with respect to COVID-19.
(b) Coordination; Technical Assistance.--In carrying out the
national system under this section, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall--
(1) coordinate State, local, Tribal, and territorial
activities related to testing, contact tracing, surveillance,
containment, and mitigation with respect to COVID-19, as
appropriate; and
(2) provide technical assistance for such activities, as
appropriate.
(c) Consideration.--In establishing and implementing the national
system under this section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall take into consideration the State and Tribal plans referred to in
the heading ``Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund'' in
title I of division B of the Paycheck Protection Program and Health
Care Enhancement Act (Public Law 116-139).
(d) Reporting.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall--
(1) not later than December 31, 2021, submit to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the
Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives a preliminary report on the effectiveness of
the activities carried out pursuant to this Act; and
(2) not later than December 21, 2022, submit to such
committees a final report on such effectiveness.
SEC. 7. HEALTH DEPARTMENT GRANTS.
(a) Definition of Secretary.--In this section, the term
``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(b) Grants Authorized.--To implement the national system under
section 6, the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, shall, subject to the availability
of appropriations, award grants to State, local, Tribal, and
territorial health departments that seek grants under this section to
carry out coordinated testing, contact tracing, surveillance,
containment, and mitigation with respect to COVID-19, including--
(1) diagnostic and surveillance testing and reporting;
(2) community-based contact tracing efforts; and
(3) policies related to voluntary isolation and quarantine
of individuals infected with, or exposed to individuals
infected with, the virus that causes COVID-19.
(c) Flexibility.--The Secretary shall ensure that--
(1) the grants under subsection (b) provide flexibility for
State, local, Tribal, and territorial health departments to
modify, establish, or maintain evidence-based systems; and
(2) local health departments receive funding from State
health departments or directly from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention to contribute to such systems, as
appropriate.
(d) Allocations.--
(1) Formula.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall allocate
amounts made available pursuant to subsection (b) in accordance
with a formula, to be established by the Secretary, that--
(A) provides a minimum level of funding to each
State, local, Tribal, and territorial health department
that seeks a grant under this section; and
(B) allocates additional funding based on the
following prioritization:
(i) The Secretary shall give highest
priority to applicants proposing to serve
populations in one or more geographic regions
with a high burden of COVID-19 based on data
provided by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, or other sources as determined by
the Secretary.
(ii) The Secretary shall give second
highest priority to applicants preparing for,
or currently working to mitigate, a COVID-19
surge in a geographic region that does not yet
have a high number of reported cases of COVID-
19 based on data provided by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, or other
sources as determined by the Secretary.
(iii) The Secretary shall give third
highest priority to applicants proposing to
serve high numbers of low-income and uninsured
populations, including medically underserved
populations, health professional shortage
areas, racial and ethnic minorities, or
geographically diverse areas, as determined by
the Secretary.
(2) Notification.--Not later than the date that is 7 days
before first awarding grants under this section, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce
of the House of Representatives a notification detailing the
formula established under paragraph (1) for allocating amounts
made available pursuant to subsection (b).
(e) Use of Funds.--A State, local, Tribal, or territorial health
department receiving a grant under this section shall, to the extent
possible, use the grant funds for activities determined appropriate by
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (in
coordination with Tribal health organizations) to implement the
national system under section 6.
(f) Reporting.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall facilitate mechanisms
for timely, standardized reporting by grantees under this
section regarding implementation of the systems established
under this section and coordinated processes with the reporting
as required under the heading ``Public Health and Social
Service Emergency Fund'' in title I of division B of the
Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
(Public Law 116-139, 134 Stat. 620), including--
(A) a summary of county or local health department
level information from the entities receiving funding
under this section about the activities that will be
undertaken using funding awarded under this section,
including subgrants; and
(B) any barriers in the prevention, testing,
mitigation, or treatment of COVID-19 under this
section.
(2) Tribal data sovereignty.--The Secretary shall consult
with Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations and coordinate with
Tribal health organizations to ensure that any reporting
process under this section honors and preserves the data
sovereignty of individuals who are members of Indian Tribes or
Tribal organizations (as such terms are defined in section 166
of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C.
3221)), including individuals who are members of Native
Hawaiian organizations (as defined in such section 166), and
urban Indian organizations.
(g) Public Listing of Awards.--The Secretary shall--
(1) not later than 7 days after first awarding grants under
this section, post in a searchable, electronic format a list of
all awards made by the Secretary under this section, including
the recipients and amounts of such awards; and
(2) update such list not less than once every 7 days until
all funds made available to carry out this section are
expended.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--Of the amounts appropriated
to carry out this Act under section 9, $15,000,000,000 shall be used by
the Secretary to carry out this section.
SEC. 8. GUIDANCE AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
(a) Department of Health and Human Services Guidelines.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 14 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services, in coordination with the heads of other Federal
agencies as appropriate, shall issue guidance, provide
technical assistance, and provide information to States, units
of local government, Tribes, and territories, with respect to
the following:
(A) Best practices regarding contact tracing,
including the collection of data with respect to such
contact tracing and requirements related to the
standardization of demographic and syndromic
information collected as part of contact tracing
efforts.
(B) Best practices regarding COVID-19 disease
surveillance, including best practices to reduce
duplication in surveillance activities, identifying
gaps in surveillance and surveillance systems, and ways
in which the Secretary of Health and Human Services
plans to effectively support State, local, Tribal, and
territorial health departments in addressing such gaps.
(C) Information on ways for State, local, Tribal,
and territorial health departments to establish and
maintain the contact tracing and surveillance
activities described in subparagraphs (A) and (B).
(D) Best practices regarding privacy and
cybersecurity protection related to contact tracing,
containment, and mitigation efforts.
(2) Communication.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall identify and publicly announce the form and
manner for communication with State, local, Tribal, and
territorial health departments for purposes of carrying out the
activities addressed by guidance issued under paragraph (1).
(b) Labor and Workplace Related Guidance.--Not later than 14 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor, acting
through the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and
Health, shall provide guidance and technical assistance regarding how
to provide individuals in contact tracing and pandemic response
positions with healthy and safe working conditions.
(c) Ongoing Provision of Guidance and Technical Assistance.--
Notwithstanding whether funds are available specifically to carry out
this Act, guidance and technical assistance shall continue to be
provided under this section.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act,
$125,000,000,000 to remain available until expended.
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