PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · May 13, 2020
Undertaking National Initiatives to Tackle Epidemic Act of 2020 or the UNITE Act of 2020
This bill responds to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency by increasing volunteer opportunities within AmeriCorps and employment opportunities at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and requiring the re-enrollment of Peace Corps volunteers whose service ended involuntarily on March 15, 2020, or earlier for volunteers who were serving in China and Mongolia.
Among other things, the bill
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
reauthorizes through FY2022 AmeriCorps programs;
increases recruitment levels of its volunteers to 500,000 in FY2020-FY2022;
sets the minimum compensation for AmeriCorps volunteers, beginning in FY2020, at 200% of the poverty line applicable to a family of one;
increases the ceiling on grant amounts to such volunteers from $18,000 to $25,000 and the grant maximum amount limit to meet program needs;
requires FEMA to appoint, administer, and expedite the training of an additional 62,000 Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees in FY2020-FY2022 above the level of such employees in FY2019 to address the COVID-19 health emergency; and
authorizes the President to pay a state, tribal, or local government in which a major disaster has been declared stipends for temporary workers conducting nonpartisan official election poll worker services.
People & committees
Rep. Phillips, Dean [D-MN-3] · D–MN
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Jul 21, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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