Introduced in House (07/06/2020) 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7496 To require Federal agencies to submit plans for responding to any resurgence of COVID–19, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 6, 2020 Mr. Schneider (for himself, Mr. Katko, Mrs. Fletcher, Ms. Craig, Ms. Sherrill, Mr. Rose of New York, Ms. Clark of Massachusetts, Mr. Kim, Mr. Brindisi, Mr. Crow, Ms. Spanberger, and Ms. Davids of Kansas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform A BILL To require Federal agencies to submit plans for responding to any resurgence of COVID–19, 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 “COVID Preparedness, Response, and Effective Planning for Advanced Requirements by the Executive Branch Act” or the “COVID PREPARE Act”. SEC. 2. COVID–19 RESURGENCE PLAN. (a) In General.—Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall submit to Congress an initial report detailing an action plan, informed by research and best practices learned from the onset of COVID–19 and previous presidentially declared emergencies, for addressing the needs and mitigating and eliminating the risks and challenges associated with any resurgence in COVID–19 cases, that includes— (1) agency priorities for preparing for and responding to any resurgence of COVID–19, including continuity of operations and fulfilling the mission of the agency; (2) measurable goals specific to priorities and a time line for addressing each priority; (3) anticipated challenges to addressing priorities and how the agency will address such challenges; (4) how the agency will consult with Congress, the public, State and municipal governments, and relevant stakeholders while working remotely; and (5) how the agency plans to issue relevant guidance to entities under the jurisdiction of the agency. (b) Subsequent Reports.—Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and quarterly thereafter until the President ends the declared emergency, the head of each agency shall submit to Congress a report that provides an update of the details submitted in the plan under subsection (a), including— (1) the status of each priority; (2) an explanation for any goal that has not been met within the specified time frame; and (3) any changes or updates to the plan. (c) Definitions.—In this section: (1) AGENCY.—The term “agency” has the meaning given that term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code. (2) STATE.—The term “State” means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States, and each federally recognized Indian Tribe.

Posted by israel x at 2020-10-01 10:36:44 UTC