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S. 3489: Supporting Students in Response to Coronavirus Act

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S. 3489: Supporting Students in Response to Coronavirus Act

116th Congress · introduced 2020-03-12 · Education · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2020-03-12 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Supporting Students in Response to Coronavirus Act

Plain summary

Supporting Students in Response to Coronavirus Act This bill establishes and provides funds for grant programs to respond to safety and health risks presented by qualifying emergencies, including COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill authorizes (1) the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to states and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and (2) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to agencies that administer Child Care Development block grants and Head Start agencies. ED grant recipients must award subgrants to BIE schools, local educational agencies, and institutions of higher education (IHEs). HHS grant recipients must award subgrants to early care and education programs. Subgrants under each grant program must be used for certain activities, such as coordinating preparedness and response efforts with public health departments; purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean facilities to minimize the spread of infectious diseases; and providing mental health services and supports to children, students, and staff. Additionally, ED must award grants to IHEs for creating and expanding emergency financial-aid grant programs that address the unexpected expenses related to basic needs (e.g., housing, food, and certain one-time costs) of enrolled students during a qualifying emergency. IHEs must use grant funds to make emergency financial-aid grants to eligible students. HHS must also award supplemental grants for certain organizations to address emergency-related child traumatic stress. ED may waive certain financial-aid requirements for students affected by qualifying emergencies. Such requirements include those related to subsidized usage limits, leaves of absence, and satisfactory progress. The bill also authorizes ED to permit foreign IHEs to offer distance education during an emergency.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Supporting Students in Response to Coronavirus Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] · 18 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] reported raising $3.6 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong116-s3489 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116