Bill Summary
The National Guard COVID-19 Earned Benefits Guarantee Act aims to provide benefits to individuals who have served in the National Guard during the national emergency declared on March 13, 2020 in response to COVID-19. This legislation directs the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to treat a period of full-time National Guard duty, performed during this national emergency, as not shorter than 90 days. This means that individuals who served in the National Guard during this time will be entitled to at least 90 days of benefits. The legislation also defines the terms "covered duty" as full-time National Guard duty performed in response to the national emergency, "covered national emergency" as the emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020, and "full-time National Guard duty" as defined in section 101 of title 10 of the United States Code. This legislation is also referred to as the "National Guard COVID-19 Earned Benefits Guarantee Act."
Possible Impacts
1. The National Guard members who were called to perform full-time duty in response to the COVID-19 national emergency will be guaranteed to receive benefits for a period of at least 90 days. This could greatly benefit those individuals who may have had their regular jobs or income disrupted due to the pandemic and need the support and security provided by these benefits.
2. This legislation may also affect the workload and deployment of National Guard members, as they may be required to serve for longer periods of time in response to the COVID-19 national emergency. This could potentially impact their personal lives and families, as well as their civilian careers and responsibilities.
3. Additionally, the designation of the national emergency and the resulting deployment of National Guard members could have an impact on the general public, as it may signal a significant level of urgency and potential severity of the situation. This could cause concern and anxiety for some people, while also providing reassurance that the government is taking necessary steps to address the crisis.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6957 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6957
To direct the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to treat a
period of full-time National Guard duty, performed in response to the
national emergency declared on March 13, 2020, by the President with
respect to COVID-19, as not shorter than 90 days.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 22, 2020
Mr. Panetta (for himself, Ms. Sherrill, Mr. King of New York, Mr.
Connolly, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Lamb, Mr. Suozzi, Ms. Titus, Ms.
Norton, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Cox of California, Mr. Foster, Mr. McGovern, Mr.
Nadler, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Costa, Mr. Pappas, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mrs.
Watson Coleman, Mr. Correa, Ms. Sewell of Alabama, Mr. Thompson of
California, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mr. Brown of Maryland, Mr. Gottheimer,
Mr. Peters, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr. Crow, Ms. Eshoo,
Mr. Kilmer, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Schneider, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Serrano, Mr.
Cisneros, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. Craig, Mr. Meeks, and Mr. Vela) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed
Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 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 direct the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to treat a
period of full-time National Guard duty, performed in response to the
national emergency declared on March 13, 2020, by the President with
respect to COVID-19, as not shorter than 90 days.
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 ``National Guard COVID-19 Earned
Benefits Guarantee Act''.
SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF A PERIOD OF FULL-TIME NATIONAL GUARD DUTY,
PERFORMED IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 NATIONAL EMERGENCY,
AS NOT SHORTER THAN 90 DAYS.
(a) In General.--The Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs
shall treat a period of covered duty as a period not shorter than 90
days.
(b) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) The term ``covered duty'' means full-time National
Guard duty performed--
(A) by an individual other than a member of
Congress; and
(B) in response to the covered national emergency.
(2) The term ``covered national emergency'' means the
national emergency declared on March 13, 2020, by the President
under the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.)
with respect to COVID-19.
(3) The term ``full-time National Guard duty'' has the
meaning given that term in section 101 of title 10, United
States Code.
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