Skip to main content
H.R. 6560 116th Congress House

UNITE Act of 2020

Official title: To mobilize individuals in the United States in the fight against coronavirus by expanding volunteer opportunities in AmeriCorps, expanding employment opportun… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To mobilize individuals in the United States in the fight against coronavirus by expanding volunteer opportunities in AmeriCorps, expanding employment opportunities at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and utilizing the expertise of Peace Corps volunteer leaders whose service ended on March 15, 2020, and for other purposes.

Introduced: April 21, 2020 Introduced by: John Garamendi Democratic · California See on congress.gov
Labor and Employment AgingAsiaCardiovascular and respiratory healthChina
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Congressional oversightCorporation for National and Community ServiceDepartment of Homeland SecurityDisaster relief and insuranceEducation of the disadvantagedEducational technology and distance educationElementary and secondary educationEmergency medical services and trauma careEmergency planning and evacuationEmployee hiringFederal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)Food assistance and reliefGovernment employee pay, benefits, personnel managementGovernment information and archivesHealth care costs and insuranceHealth care coverage and accessHealth information and medical recordsHealth personnelHealth technology, devices, suppliesHomelessness and emergency shelterInfectious and parasitic diseasesMedical tests and diagnostic methodsMongoliaNational and community serviceNatural disastersPeace CorpsPublic-private cooperationSocial work, volunteer service, charitable organizationsUnemploymentVeterans' education, employment, rehabilitationVeterans' loans, housing, homeless programsWorld health
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 22, 2020
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Apr 21, 2020
Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Foreign Affairs, 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.
Apr 21, 2020
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action April 22, 2020

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

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

  • 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; and
  • requires FEMA to appoint, administer, and expedite the training of an additional 10,000 Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees above the level of such employees in FY2019 to address the COVID-19 emergency.
 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4
 Cosponsors 23
All 23 Democratic 15
Finkenauer, Abby
· Dec 21, 2020
 D
Tonko, Paul
New York · Sep 1, 2020
 D
Schneider, Bradley Scott
Illinois · Jul 16, 2020
 D
Grijalva, Raúl M.
Arizona · Jun 24, 2020
 D
Carson, André
Indiana · Jun 15, 2020
 D
Scanlon, Mary Gay
Pennsylvania · Jun 15, 2020
 D
Foster, Bill
Illinois · Jun 1, 2020
 D
Norton, Eleanor Holmes
District of Columbia · May 27, 2020
 D
Welch, Peter
Vermont · May 12, 2020
 D
Fletcher, Lizzie
Texas · Apr 23, 2020
HASTINGS, ALCEE
· Apr 23, 2020
 D
Levin, Mike
California · Apr 23, 2020
 D
McGovern, James P.
Massachusetts · Apr 23, 2020
 D
Raskin, Jamie
Maryland · Apr 23, 2020
Rose, Max
· Apr 23, 2020
 D
Thompson, Mike
California · Apr 23, 2020
 D
Titus, Dina
Nevada · Apr 23, 2020
 D
Casten, Sean
Illinois · Apr 21, 2020
Haaland, Debra
· Apr 21, 2020
 D
Huffman, Jared
California · Apr 21, 2020
Jackson Lee, Sheila
· Apr 21, 2020
Kuster, Ann
· Apr 21, 2020
RUSH, BOBBY
· Apr 21, 2020
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 6560: UNITE Act of 2020. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6560/
MLA
"H.R. 6560: UNITE Act of 2020." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6560/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 6560, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6560/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 6560: UNITE Act of 2020](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6560/)
Report a problem