COVID–19 Accountability Act
Latest action · May 14, 2020 Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Financial Services, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, 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.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 14, 2020
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
COVID-19 Accountability Act
This bill authorizes sanctions in relation to the Chinese government's response to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak. It also increases the research tax credit and imposes requirements related to the acquisition of items for the Strategic National Stockpile.
The President shall periodically certify to Congress that the Chinese government (1) is cooperating with efforts related to the COVID-19 outbreak, (2) has prohibited wet markets, and (3) has released and dropped all charges for anyone involved in protests in Hong Kong related to COVID-19. If the President cannot make such a certification, the President may (1) impose sanctions on Chinese government officials, entities owned or controlled by the Chinese government, and individuals affiliated with such entities; or (2) prohibit Chinese nationals from obtaining student visas (i.e., F and M visas) or exchange visitor visas (i.e., J visas).
With respect to the research tax credit, the bill increases the alternative simplified credit from 14% to 20% of qualified research expenses above a certain threshold.
The Department of Health and Human Services generally may not purchase personal protective equipment, critical medical supplies, or certain fabric products not produced in the United States for the Strategic National Stockpile. However, this restriction shall not apply if (1) there is not a sufficient amount of U.S.-produced items available at U.S. market prices when needed, or (2) the purchase is worth less than $150,000.
Cosponsors 32
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 14, 2020 to Jul 16, 2020; 24 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-GA | Austin Scott | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-OH | Bob Gibbs | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-LA | Clay Higgins | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-NC | Dan Bishop | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-VA | Denver Riggleman | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-FL | Gus M. Bilirakis | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-IN | Jim Banks | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-FL | John H. Rutherford | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-WY | Liz Cheney | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-FL | Mario Diaz-Balart | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-NC | Mark Walker | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-OK | Markwayne Mullin | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-MS | Michael Guest | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-FL | Michael Waltz | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-GA | Rick W. Allen | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-IL | Rodney Davis | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-KS | Roger Marshall | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-CO | Scott R. Tipton | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-OH | Steve Stivers | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-MS | Steven M. Palazzo | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-OH | Troy Balderson | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-MO | Vicky Hartzler | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-FL | W. Gregory Steube | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-SC | William R. Timmons IV | Original | May 14, 2020 |
| R-SC | Jeff Duncan | May 27, 2020 | |
| R-TX | Michael C. Burgess | May 27, 2020 | |
| R-PA | Mike Kelly | May 27, 2020 | |
| R-CA | Paul Cook | May 27, 2020 | |
| R-TX | Ron Wright | May 27, 2020 | |
| R-MN | Tom Emmer | May 27, 2020 | |
| R-MS | Trent Kelly | May 27, 2020 | |
| R-AZ | Debbie Lesko | Jul 16, 2020 |
Committees 5
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Foreign Affairs Committee | Referred May 14, 2020 |
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred May 14, 2020 |
| House | Financial Services Committee | Referred May 14, 2020 |
| House | Ways and Means Committee | Referred May 14, 2020 |
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred May 14, 2020 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- May 14, 2020Introduced in House
- May 14, 2020Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Financial Services, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, 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.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 166, no. 91, May 14, 2020, page H2004.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 3683 | COVID–19 Accountability Act | Identical bill | May 11, 2020 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To authorize the imposition of sanctions with respect to the People's Republic of China for its obstruction or failure to cooperate in investigations relating to the outbreak of COVID-19, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- COVID–19 Accountability Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
- Agricultural marketing and promotion
- Animal and plant health
- Animal protection and human-animal relationships
- Appropriations
- Asia
- Cardiovascular and respiratory health
- China
- Congressional oversight
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Detention of persons
- Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
- Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
- Emergency medical services and trauma care
- Foreign and international corporations
- Foreign loans and debt
- Foreign property
- Fraud offenses and financial crimes
- Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
- Government studies and investigations
- Health personnel
- Health technology, devices, supplies
- Higher education
- Hong Kong
- Human rights
- Immigration status and procedures
- Income tax credits
- Infectious and parasitic diseases
- International Affairs
- International exchange and broadcasting
- International organizations and cooperation
- Manufacturing
- Multilateral development programs
- Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
- Protest and dissent
- Public contracts and procurement
- Research and development
- Sanctions
- Securities
- Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
- Strategic materials and reserves
- Taiwan
- U.S. and foreign investments
- United Nations
- Visas and passports
- War and emergency powers
- Worker safety and health
- World health
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- May 14, 2020Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
