H.R. 7607, Masks for All Act of 2020
Summary
H.R. 7607, the Masks for All Act of 2020, was introduced in the House of Representatives on July 13, 2020 by Ms. Wilson of Florida and referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. It would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to make each State, territory, local government and Tribal government require the use of face coverings in public during the emergency period as a condition on receipt of COVID-19 funds, subject to listed exceptions. An exception covers outdoor spaces where individuals can keep a distance of at least 6 feet from others outside the household. It authorizes $75,000,000 for fiscal years 2021 through 2022.
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Cite this document
“H.R. 7607, Masks for All Act of 2020.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/bills-bills-116hr7607ih-bills-116hr7607ih/
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I
116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 7607
To condition the receipt of funds with respect to COVID–19 on requiring
the use of face coverings in public, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 13, 2020
Ms. WILSON of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To condition the receipt of funds with respect to COVID–
19 on requiring the use of face coverings in public,
and for other purposes.
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Masks for All Act of
5 2020’’.
6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
7 Congress finds the following:
8 (1) The widespread use of face coverings by the
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9 public is essential to help slow the spread of the
10 virus that causes COVID–19 and help prevent the
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1 transmission of such virus by individuals who do not
2 show symptoms.
3 (2) The Government has an interest in encour-
4 aging the use of face coverings in public and each
5 place of business to protect the health of populations
6 that are at a higher risk of developing severe illness
7 from COVID–19, including—
8 (A) the immunocompromised;
9 (B) individuals who are 65 years of age or
10 older; and
11 (C) individuals living with chronic lung dis-
12 ease, moderate to severe asthma, serious heart
13 conditions, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, se-
14 vere obesity, or liver disease.
15 (3) Overwhelming scientific evidence has shown
16 that face coverings block a high portion of res-
17 piratory droplets that spread the virus that causes
18 COVID–19.
19 (4) Evidence from an international cross-dis-
20 ciplinary review of scientific research has shown
21 that—
22 (A) using a face covering in public is most
23 effective at reducing the spread of COVID–19
24 when compliance is high; and
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1 (B) transmission in a community is sub-
2 stantially lower when individuals are required to
3 use a face covering or where the use of a face
4 covering is widespread.
5 (5) The widespread use of face coverings sub-
6 stantially reduces the number of fatalities, the cases
7 of severe illness, and continued economic losses that
8 result from transmission of the virus that causes
9 COVID–19.
10 (6) The widespread use of face coverings is nec-
11 essary (but not sufficient) to slow the spread of the
12 virus that causes COVID–19 and should be pro-
13 moted along with regular handwashing, social
14 distancing, testing, and minimizing nonessential ac-
15 tivities outside of the household.
16 SEC. 3. USE OF FACE COVERINGS IN PUBLIC.
17 (a) CONDITIONAL FUNDING WITH RESPECT TO
18 FACE COVERINGS.—The Secretary of Health and Human
19 Services (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’), act-
20 ing through the Director of the Centers for Disease Con-
21 trol and Prevention, shall require each State, territory,
22 local government, and Tribal government to, as a condi-
23 tion on the receipt of COVID–19 funds and funds under
24 a provision of a covered law, require, subject to the excep-
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25 tions specified in subsection (b), the use of face coverings
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1 during the emergency period in public, including in each
2 place of business, in the respective jurisdiction.
3 (b) EXCEPTIONS.—The exceptions specified in this
4 subsection are that a requirement implemented pursuant
5 to subsection (a) may not apply to—
6 (1) outdoor spaces where individuals may main-
7 tain a distance of at least 6 feet from other individ-
8 uals who are not members of the same household;
9 and
10 (2) any individual who—
11 (A) is under 2 years of age;
12 (B) has a medical condition in which wear-
13 ing a face covering could obstruct the ability of
14 the individual to breathe;
15 (C) is unable to remove a face covering
16 without assistance; and
17 (D) is receiving a service that requires
18 temporary removal of the face covering, includ-
19 ing a service with respect to a food or beverage.
20 (c) GRANTS TO PROMOTE FACE COVERINGS.—
21 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after
22 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
23 may award grants to States, territories, and Tribal
24 governments to promote access to face coverings for
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25 the purpose of minimizing the risk of exposure to
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1 COVID–19, including installing face covering dis-
2 pensers in public.
3 (2) APPLICATION.—To be eligible for a grant
4 under this section, a State, territory, and Tribal gov-
5 ernment shall submit to the Secretary an application
6 at such time, in such form, and containing such in-
7 formation as the Secretary determines appropriate,
8 including a certification that the State will meet the
9 requirements under paragraph (3).
10 (3) USE OF FUNDS.—A State, territory, and
11 Tribal government that receives a grant under this
12 section shall use grant funds to promote access to
13 face coverings for the purpose of minimizing the risk
14 of exposure to COVID–19 in accordance with—
15 (A) guidelines determined necessary by the
16 Secretary; and
17 (B) guidelines provided by the Centers for
18 Disease Control and Prevention with respect to
19 the use of face coverings.
20 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act:
21 (1) COVERED LAW.—The term ‘‘covered law’’
22 means each of the following:
23 (A) The Coronavirus Preparedness and
24 Response Supplemental Appropriations Act,
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1 2020 (Public Law 116–123), or an amendment
2 made by that Act.
3 (B) The Families First Coronavirus Re-
4 sponse Act (Public Law 116–127), or an
5 amendment made by that Act.
6 (C) The CARES Act (Public Law 116–
7 136), or an amendment made by that Act.
8 (D) The Paycheck Protection Program and
9 Health Care Enhancement Act (Public Law
10 116–139), or an amendment made by that Act.
11 (E) Other laws with respect to relief from
12 the COVID–19 pandemic.
13 (2) COVID–19 FUNDS.—The term ‘‘COVID–19
14 funds’’ means funds provided to a State, territory,
15 local government, and Tribal government through
16 any grants or cooperative agreements for prepared-
17 ness and response to the COVID–19 pandemic, in-
18 cluding funds provided through cooperative agree-
19 ments with the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
20 vention.
21 (3) EMERGENCY PERIOD.—The term ‘‘emer-
22 gency period’’ has the meaning given that term in
23 section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42
24 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1)(B)).
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1 (4) FACE COVERING.—The term ‘‘face cov-
2 ering’’ means any material that covers the nose and
3 mouth of an individual.
4 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
5 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act
6 $75,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2021 through
7 2022.
Æ
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