[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3842 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3842

To amend title VI of the Social Security Act to permit State and local 
coronavirus fiscal recovery funds to be used to address increased costs 
                          of essential items.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 15, 2022

  Mr. Warnock introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title VI of the Social Security Act to permit State and local 
coronavirus fiscal recovery funds to be used to address increased costs 
                          of essential items.

    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 ``Relief for Families Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO USE STATE AND LOCAL CORONAVIRUS FISCAL RECOVERY 
              FUNDS TO ADDRESS INCREASED COSTS OF ESSENTIAL ITEMS.

    (a) In General.--Sections 602(c)(1) and 603(c)(1) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 802(c)(1), 803(c)(1)) are each amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``or'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) to address increased costs of essential 
                items, including clothing or footwear that does not 
                exceed $100 per item of clothing or pair of footwear, 
                food (other than alcoholic beverages), diapers, 
                feminine hygiene products, prescription and over-the-
                counter medicine, items to prepare for natural 
                disasters or severe weather, school supplies, and 
                energy efficient appliances, by providing a temporary 
                suspension of sales taxes or similar temporary sales 
                tax relief for the purchase of such items that--
                            ``(i) is for a period of not less than 3 
                        days, and not more than 3 months;
                            ``(ii) begins after a minimum 2-week notice 
                        period; and
                            ``(iii) occurs during the 12-month period 
                        that begins on the day after the date of 
                        enactment of this subparagraph.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 602(c)(2)(A) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 802(c)(2)(A)) is amended by striking ``A State or territory'' 
and inserting ``Except as permitted under paragraph (1)(E), a State or 
territory''.
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