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COVID-19: Legal Considerations for Bringing a New Vaccine to Market [March 24, 2020]
From the Document: "As the number of confirmed COVID [coronavirus disease]-19 cases increases at an accelerating rate, interest has grown in developing a COVID-19 vaccine as an avenue for addressing the pandemic. Media reports indicate that a number of countries and companies are working on developing a vaccine. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the biotechnology company Moderna, Inc., recently initiated the first clinical trials of a potential vaccine in the United States at a hospital in Seattle. However, developing a new vaccine and obtaining approval to market it can take a long time. This Sidebar discusses the licensure (i.e., approval) process for vaccines under the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act) and the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), as well as potential legal avenues for expediting that process to bring a new vaccine to market sooner."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Ward, Erin H.
2020-03-24
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COVID-19 and Federal Procurement Contracts [March 24, 2020]
From the Document: "The COVID [coronavirus disease]-19 pandemic and related mandates and recommendations to practice social distancing, work from home, shelter in place, and self-quarantine impact government contracts by disrupting supply chains and business operations. These disruptions may make it difficult and potentially impossible for some federal contractors to perform government procurement contracts as originally contemplated. Disruptions will likely alter government procurement priorities and have prompted questions about how the novel COVID-19 pandemic might affect federal acquisitions and government contractor performance. The pandemic's effect on existing federal contracts will depend in large part upon agency needs, the duration of pandemic response actions, and each contract's type and terms. Legal principles underlying standard contract clauses that often must be incorporated in procurement contracts under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and agency-specific FAR supplements like the Department of Defense's (DoD's) Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) will likely guide how agencies and contractors respond to the pandemic. Additionally, federal emergency response laws, such as the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) and the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA), could impact how agencies acquire goods and services to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Carpenter, David Hatcher
2020-03-24
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Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19 Response [March 23, 2020]
From the Document: "The attached list identifies workers who conduct a range of operations and services that are essential to continued critical infrastructure viability, including staffing operations centers, maintaining and repairing critical infrastructure, operating call centers, working construction, and performing management functions, among others. The industries they support represent, but are not necessarily limited to, medical and healthcare, telecommunications, information technology systems, defense, food and agriculture, transportation and logistics, energy, water and wastewater, law enforcement, and public works."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
Krebs, Christopher
2020-03-23
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 23, 2020
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Public Health Responses to COVID-19 Outbreaks on Cruise Ships -- Worldwide, February-March 2020." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2020.html]
2020-03-23
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Response
From the Document: "[1] The federal government continues taking aggressive and proactive steps to address the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The health and safety of the American people is our top priority. [2] Under the direction of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, FEMA, HHS [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] and our federal partners are working with state, local, tribal and territorial governments to execute a whole of government response to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and protect the public."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2020-03-23
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Briefing With Senior State Department Officials On COVID-19: Updates on Health Impact and Assistance for American Citizens Abroad
From Senior State Department Official One: "Good afternoon, everybody. [Senior State Department Official One] here. The COVID [coronavirus diease]-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global challenge, one that has affected a great number of Americans abroad. Here at the Department of State, we're rising to meet that challenge. We're working around the clock to bring U.S. citizens who are stranded overseas back home. Our consular officers posted overseas and our local - their local employee colleagues have been working night and day to help Americans get on flights. And, as [Moderator Two] just said, there's a 24-7 task force here in Washington supporting that effort. Though we stood up the task force last week, this was not our first effort to bring Americans home in response to this pandemic. We evacuated over 800 people from Wuhan and over 300 from the Diamond Princess in Japan. In date - in total to date, we have brought home more than 5,000 Americans from 17 countries, and we're bringing home thousands more in the coming days and weeks. This is truly an unprecedented effort to bring Americans from every region of the world in these rapidly changing conditions on the ground."
United States. Department of State
2020-03-23
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Iran: COVID-19 Disinformation Fact-Sheet
From the Facts: "[1] Iran's lack of transparency about its coronavirus outbreak has resulted in a catastrophic public health risk to the Iranian people, as well as to Iran's neighbors. [2] Instead of halting flights to China when the risk of contagion was clear, the regime threatened and imprisoned dozens of Iranians who told the truth about the outbreak. The regime encouraged large public gatherings to try to bolster its legitimacy, with no regard for the health risk to Iranian citizens. [3] The regime is hiding a significant amount of information about the coronavirus outbreak. It is likely far worse that the regime is admitting. This lack of transparency poses a significant health risk to the Iranian people, as well as to Iran's neighbors."
United States. Department of State
2020-03-23
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Majority Staff Report Examining Voting Options During the COVID-19 Pandemic
From the Introduction: "This is a moment of national emergency. One that comes with a unique set of challenges. Americans are being asked to stay home. Americans are being asked to socially distance themselves from their neighbors, colleagues, friends, and even family. Yet others are being asked to put themselves at risk to take care of the sick, protect their communities, and keep the supply chains running. Likewise, Congress must be prepared to do the urgent work of responding to the massive challenges we face as a country. That work must proceed thoughtfully, while keeping public safety at the forefront and at the same time preserving the integrity of the institution. Since the onset of the COVID [coronavirus]-19 pandemic, the Rules Committee has heard from Members who want to come back to Washington and vote on critical legislation, and Members who want to implement remote voting due to concerns Congress will be unable to pass legislation while also protecting the health of Members, staff, and the public. While these concerns are completely valid, implementing remote voting would raise serious security, logistical, and constitutional challenges."
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Rules
2020-03-23
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Prioritization of Survey Activities
From the Memorandum Summary: "[1] 'The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is committed' to taking critical steps to ensure America's health care facilities are prepared to respond to the threat of disease caused by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). [2] On Friday, March 13, 2020, the President declared a national emergency, which triggers the Secretary's ability to authorize waivers or modifications of certain requirements pursuant to section 1135 of the Social Security Act (the Act). Under section 1135(b)(5) of the Act, CMS is prioritizing surveys by authorizing modification of timetables and deadlines for the performance of certain required activities, delaying revisit surveys, and generally exercising enforcement discretion for three weeks."
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (U.S.)
2020-03-23
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Executive Order 13910: Preventing Hoarding of Health and Medical Resources to Respond to the Spread of COVID-19
From the Section 1: "In Proclamation 9994 of March 13, 2020 (Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID- 19) Outbreak), I declared a national emergency recognizing the threat that the novel (new) coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 poses to our Nation's healthcare systems. In recognizing the public health risk, I noted that on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced that the outbreak of COVID-19 (the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2) can be characterized as a pandemic. I also noted that while the Federal Government, along with State and local governments, have taken preventive and proactive measures to slow the spread of the virus and to treat those affected, the spread of COVID-19 within our Nation's communities threatens to strain our Nation's healthcare systems. To further deal with this threat, on March 18, 2020, I issued Executive Order 13909 (Prioritizing and Allocating Health and Medical Resources to Respond to the Spread of COVID-19), in which I delegated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) the prioritization and allocation authority under section 101 of the Act with respect to health and medical resources needed to respond to the spread of COVID-19."
United States. Office of the Federal Register
Trump, Donald, 1946-
2020-03-23
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COVID-19 Response Plan: Incident-specific Annex to the VHA High Consequence Infection (HCI) Base Plan
From the Executive Summary: "The primary goal of the operations plan is to protect Veterans and staff from acquiring COVID [coronavirus disease]-19 infection by leveraging technology, communications as well as using dedicated staff and space to care for COVID-19 patients. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will create a safe environment by implementing a system where one VA facility operates as two separate 'zones' (Standard and COVID-19) for inpatient care. VA will provide most outpatient care for Veterans through telehealth services as appropriate. This approach minimizes the risk of infection, supports expansion to meet an increasing need for COVID-19 services, and provides Veterans in routine VA care consistent access to VA care. The plan includes strategies to address a large number of COVID-19 cases to include alternative sites of care for Veterans with COVID-19."
United States. Veterans Health Administration
2020-03-23
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Emergency Funding for Public Transportation Agencies Due to COVID-19 [March 23, 2020]
From the Document: "The COVID-19 pandemic has reportedly resulted in a swift and large loss of public transportation ridership and fare revenue. Examples in the early days of the crisis include an 88% loss of ridership for New Jersey Transit, a 60% loss of subway ridership for New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a 60% loss for Denver's Regional Transportation District, and a 90% loss for Bay Area Rapid Transit in San Francisco. Many transit agencies, including the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, have responded by cutting service, encouraging people to travel only when necessary, and requiring riders to enter buses through the rear doors without paying a fare. Fare revenue losses are likely to be compounded by a less immediate decline in local tax revenue dedicated to transit agency budgets, particularly sales and property taxes. In 2018, fare revenue was 31% of operating budgets and 22% of overall transit agency funding. Taxes dedicated directly to transit agencies were another 12% of overall funding. With both of these revenue sources under pressure, many transit agencies will likely find it difficult to meet current commitments, such as staff pay and benefits, and to restore service to previous levels once passenger demand rebounds."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mallett, William J.
2020-03-23
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Federal Reserve: Recent Actions in Response to COVID-19 [Updated March 23, 2020]
From the Document: "Coronavirus (COVID-19) has created significant economic disruption. In response, the Federal Reserve (Fed) has taken a number of steps to promote economic and financial stability involving the Fed's monetary policy and 'lender of last resort' roles. Some of these actions are intended to stimulate economic activity by reducing interest rates and others are intended to provide liquidity to financial markets so that firms have access to needed funding."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Labonte, Marc
2020-03-23
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COVID-19 and Direct Payments to Individuals: Summary of the 2020 Recovery Rebates in the CARES Act, as Circulated March 22 [March 23, 2020]
From the Document: "Legislative text of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, circulated on Sunday, March 22, 2020, proposes direct payments to individuals and families--'2020 recovery rebates.' This Insight provides a brief overview of the proposed 2020 recovery rebates included in the text circulated on March 22, which differ from those included in the legislation introduced on March 19. The proposed 2020 recovery rebates equal $1,200 per person ($2,400 for married taxpayers filing a joint tax return) and $500 per child. These amounts would phase down for higher-income taxpayers. These payments are structured as tax credits automatically advanced to households in 2020 'if they filed a 2019 income tax return' and would be received as a direct deposit or check by mail. If a 2019 return had not been filed, rebates would be advanced automatically based on 2018 return information."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Crandall-Hollick, Margot L.
2020-03-23
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COVID-19 and Funding for Civil Aviation [March 23, 2020]
From the Document: "The COVID [coronavirus disease]-19 pandemic has created headwinds for the airline industry. Out of health concerns, customers were canceling international air travel to China and other affected countries in Asia as early as January 2020. Since then, travel restrictions imposed by governments around the world as well as suspension of nonessential travel by businesses and organizations have led to a sharp drop in air travel. These developments could also have significant implications for civil aviation programs. The International Air Transport Association, an airline industry group, projected on March 17 that the industry's losses globally due to COVID-19 would exceed $113 billion--more than 19% of the annual revenue--and warned that numerous airlines around the world were running out of cash. Many passenger carriers have canceled services in the face of reduced demand, and have sought to conserve cash by offering voluntary leaves of absence, placing workers on furlough, and grounding or accelerating retirement of some aircraft."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tang, Rachel Y.
2020-03-23
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Justice Department Files Its First Enforcement Action Against COVID-19 Fraud: Federal Court Issues Temporary Restraining Order Against Website Offering Fraudulent Coronavirus Vaccine
From the Webpage: "The Department of Justice announced today that it has taken its first action in federal court to combat fraud related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The enforcement action filed today in Austin against operators of a fraudulent website follows Attorney General William Barr's recent direction for the department to prioritize the detection, investigation, and prosecution of illegal conduct related to the pandemic."
United States. Department of Justice. Office of Public Affairs
2020-03-22
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Hotel to Healthcare Concept (H2HC) [presentation]
This presentation provides plans for converting hotels and arenas into alternative healthcare facilities. Suggested engineering changes include the following: "[1] Add perimeter fencing; [2] Add generator; [3] Add patient screening tent; [4] Add exterior pharmacy; [5] Add med gas storage; [6] Add access control point (ACP); [and 7] Add red bag disposal area."
United States. Army. Corps of Engineers
2020-03-22
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COVID-19 HMIS Setup and Data Sharing Practices
From the Document: "This document offers information to help Continuum of Care (CoC) and HMIS [Homeless Management Information System] Leadership at the local level to create an action plan for recording and communicating data around COVID-19 and homelessness for their community. HUD [Department of Housing and Urban Development] strongly recommends that CoCs work with their local Health Departments to blend their activities and actions with the plans the Health Departments are activating."
United States. Department of Housing and Urban Development
2020-03-21
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Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Updated in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic
From the Purpose: "This technical assistance document provides information about Titles I and V of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act and pandemic planning in the workplace. This document was originally issued in 2009, during the spread of H1N1 [Influenza A virus subtype H1N1] virus, and has been re-issued on March 19, 2020, to incorporate updates regarding the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease] pandemic. It identifies established ADA principles that are relevant to questions frequently asked about workplace pandemic planning."
United States. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
2020-03-21
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 20, 2020
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Global Epidemiology of Tuberculosis and Progress Toward Meeting Global Targets -- Worldwide, 2018"; "Tuberculosis -- United States, 2019"; "Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths --United States, 2017-2018"; "Variation in Adult Outpatient Opioid Prescription Dispensing by Age and Sex -- United States, 2008-2018"; "Delayed Identification of Infants Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing -- Minnesota, 2012-2016"; "Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Surveillance and Containment Measures for the First 100 Patients with COVID-19 in Singapore -- January 2-February 29, 2020"; "Initial Investigation of Transmission of COVID-19 Among Crew Members During Quarantine of a Cruise Ship -- Yokohama, Japan, February 2020". Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2020.html]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2020-03-20
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Substance Use Disorder Services in the Days of a Pandemic: You Need a Bigger Boat [video]
From the Website: "Providing SUD [substance use disorder] services during a pandemic requires a mix of disaster preparedness, safety precautions, telehealth, and ethics. During her tenure as a leader in SUD treatment, Sheila Weix has been involved with emergencies related to the HIV epidemic, 9/11, and the 2008 economic collapse. She is currently applying this experience in an outpatient treatment service that includes medication-assisted treatment in rural Wisconsin during the COVID19 pandemic."
United States. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Weix, Sheila
2020-03-20
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COVID-19 Economic Stimulus: Business Payroll Tax Cuts [March 20, 2020]
From the Document: "The economic fallout from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has accelerated rapidly. Policymakers continue to evaluate tax policy economic relief options. Payroll tax cuts for businesses are one option that would provide economic assistance to business activities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sherlock, Molly F.; Marples, Donald J.
2020-03-20
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Targeted Tax Relief for Industries Impacted by the Coronavirus: Selected Policy Issues [March 20, 2020]
From the Document: "One of the policy options being considered to minimize the damage to the U.S. economy from the domestic spread of the coronavirus is tax relief targeted at industries that have experienced substantial drops in revenue. To date, growing numbers of cruise lines, airlines, hotels, restaurants, retailers, and energy producers seem to have been hit the hardest by the economic impact of the virus. Depending on what happens to the spread of the coronavirus within the United States in coming weeks, other industries could be similarly affected. The prospect of a prolonged domestic coronavirus outbreak raises concerns about the solvency of severely affected companies and the job security of their employees. This is a particular concern for smaller firms. Without lines of credit, many of them may find it difficult to stay in business."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Guenther, Gary L.
2020-03-20
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State and Local Fiscal Conditions and Economic Shocks [March 20, 2020]
From the Document: "Policymaker attention to the COVID [coronavirus disease]-19 economic shock has included its potential effect on state and local governments. This Insight summarizes the underlying forces affecting state and local finances following a negative economic shock, examines tools available to them in response to such forces, and briefly discusses federal assistance offered in recent recessions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Driessen, Grant A.
2020-03-20
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U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Expresses Concern Over Growing Anti-Asian Racism and Xenophobia Amid the COVID-19 Outbreak
From the Document: "The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, by majority vote, expresses grave concern over recent demonstrations of violence and hate toward people of Asian descent provoked by misplaced fear over the COVID-19 [novel coronavirus 2019] pandemic. As the nation's civil rights watchdog, the Commission has long recognized that xenophobia wears many faces. In recent weeks, we have seen those faces surface in the form of ignorance and misinformed assumptions, hateful remarks, and violent acts. In one case, a man riding a New York subway train sprayed a fellow passenger, an Asian American man, with air freshener while yelling at him to move away. In Washington, D.C., a woman was accosted by a fellow passenger on a Metro train, who told her 'Get out of here. Go back to China. I don't want none of your swine flu here.' A man riding a public bus in Boston, upon seeing a woman sneeze into her sleeve, began making comments about 'diseased Chinese people.'"
United States Commission on Civil Rights
2020-03-20
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Considerations for the Care and Treatment of Mental and Substance Use Disorders in the COVID-19 Epidemic: March 20, 2020
From the Document: "COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus spread by the respiratory route and contact with contaminated surfaces. It appears to be highly contagious and has a significant morbidity and mortality rate. Because these attributes are known and because this agent has been identified as responsible for a global pandemic, it is essential that behavioral healthcare facilities implement plans to protect patients and staff from infection to the greatest extent possible. The following are offered as considerations aimed at decreasing the likelihood of infection and viral transmission and providing for the behavioral health needs of patients."
United States. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
2020-03-20
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USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs' Response to COVID-19: P.l. 116-127 and Related Efforts [Updated March 20, 2020]
From the Document: "U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) programs are often part of emergency response efforts, providing program flexibilities, foods for distribution, and benefits for redemption. Emergencies generate different FNS responses and vary with states' requests. During the COVID-19 pandemic, access to food--particularly in light of school closures--has been a concern for many. Some also view the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as a force for economic stimulus. This Insight discusses P.L. 116-127's food assistance provisions, which supplement FNS's existing COVID-19 response with new funds and authorities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Aussenberg, Randy Alison; Billings, Kara Clifford
2020-03-20
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Department of Veterans Affairs' Potential Role in Addressing the COVID-19 Outbreak [March 20, 2020]
From the Summary: "The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides a range of benefits to eligible veterans and their dependents. [...] Based on limited information from VA, this report provides an overview of VA's response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that is affecting communities throughout the United States. It also discusses recent congressional action as it pertains to the veterans' benefits and services, as well as the supplemental appropriations for the department."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Panangala, Sidath Viranga; Sussman, Jared S.; Dortch, Cassandria . . .
2020-03-20
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Postponing Federal Elections and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Legal Considerations [March 20, 2020]
From the Document: "On March 13, 2020, Louisiana's Governor invoked emergency powers to announce that the state's presidential primary election, previously scheduled for April 4, would be postponed for more than two months as part of the state's response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Other states soon began exploring similar changes, prompting election officials, candidates, and voters to prepare for disruptions that could persist through November's general election. This Sidebar reviews the legal provisions that would constrain any efforts to delay or cancel federal elections during a public health crisis or other national emergency. The first part reviews laws pertaining to presidential elections, and the second part reviews laws relevant to congressional elections."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Shelly, Jacob D.
2020-03-20
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COVID-19 and Stimulus Payments to Individuals: Potential Impacts of Direct Payments on Family Incomes [March 20, 2020]
From the Document: "Several Members of Congress and the Trump Administration have proposed direct cash payments as part of a fiscal response to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Direct cash payments have previously been part of the federal government's response to economic downturns, most recently in 2001 and 2008. In general, the purpose of direct payments is twofold: (1) they allow families to spend more, and through a multiplier effect help to stimulate the economy; and (2) they provide resources to help meet basic needs for those whose income has decreased due to COVID-19 infection or potential job loss. This Insight discusses several current direct payment proposals and their impact on family incomes."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Boyle, Conor F.; Carter, Jameson A.
2020-03-20
