Bill Summary
The CARES Congressional Oversight Commission Diversity Act of 2020 is a bill that aims to amend the CARES Act in order to change the membership requirements of the Congressional Oversight Commission. This commission was created to oversee the spending and implementation of the CARES Act, which was passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill states that at least one member of each of the four subcommittees within the commission must be from a group that has been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and resulting economic recession. This includes racial and ethnic minority groups, as well as individuals who have experienced job loss or financial hardship. The purpose of this amendment is to ensure that the commission has diverse representation and can better address the disparate health and economic impacts of the pandemic on different populations.
Possible Impacts
1. The Act could potentially provide more representation for individuals from marginalized groups who have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to more diverse perspectives and potentially more targeted solutions to address their specific needs.
2. The Act could potentially lead to increased accountability and oversight of government responses to the pandemic, ensuring that resources are allocated fairly and effectively to all communities, especially those most impacted.
3. The Act could potentially lead to more accurate and comprehensive data collection and reporting on the impact of the pandemic on different racial and ethnic groups, providing a better understanding of the disparities and inequities that exist and informing future policy decisions.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4459 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4459
To amend the CARES Act to modify the membership requirements of the
Congressional Oversight Commission.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
August 5, 2020
Mr. Van Hollen (for himself, Ms. Harris, Mr. Menendez, and Mr. Booker)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the CARES Act to modify the membership requirements of the
Congressional Oversight Commission.
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 ``CARES Congressional Oversight
Commission Diversity Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The COVID-19 pandemic is having significantly disparate
health and economic impacts on various populations.
(2) According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, long-standing systemic health and social inequities
have put some members of racial and ethnic minority groups at
increased risk of getting COVID-19, regardless of age.
(3) Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native
individuals have an infection rate approximately 5 times that
of non-Hispanic White individuals.
(4) Non-Hispanic Black individuals have an infection rate
of approximately 5 times that of non-Hispanic White
individuals.
(5) Hispanic and Latino individuals have an infection rate
of approximately 4 times that of non-Hispanic White
individuals.
(6) According the Household Pulse Survey, 6 in 10 Hispanic
individuals were in households that lost some employment income
over the 3-month period between March and June of 2020. During
that same time period, more than 50 percent of Black,
multiracial, and individuals of other races were in households
with employment income loss.
(7) The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis surveyed
leadership representing Tribal governments, Tribal enterprises,
and other Tribal organizations. In that survey, over 30 percent
of Tribal enterprises reported they had to lay off or furlough
80 to 100 percent of their workforce at the time of the survey.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT COMMISSION.
Section 4020(c)(1) of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9055(c)(1)) is
amended--
(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
``5'' and inserting ``9'';
(2) in subparagraphs (A) through (D), strike ``1'' each
place the term appears and insert ``2''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(F) At least 1 of the 2 members appointed under
each of subparagraphs (A) through (D) shall be from a
group that has been disproportionately negatively
impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic of 2020 and the economic recession resulting
from the pandemic.''.
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