Bill Overview
Title: CEASE Act
Description: This bill establishes the COVID-19 Funding Accountability Commission. The commission terminates after it reports on spending by the federal government related to relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the total amount of money (1) spent by the government on such relief, and (2) designated by the government for such relief that has been unspent as of enactment of this bill.
Sponsors: Rep. Cawthorn, Madison [R-NC-11]
Target Audience
Population: People interested or affected by federal COVID-19 relief expenditure accountability
Estimated Size: 330000000
- The bill is focused on accountability and transparency in the spending of COVID-19 relief funds by the federal government.
- This accountability could potentially impact citizens by influencing future policy decisions based on the report findings.
- Stakeholders interested in federal budgeting and spending, especially in context of COVID-19 relief, will be impacted.
- It may lead to redistributions or reallocation of unspent funds, potentially benefiting or affecting sectors that receive them.
- Transparency from the commission's report might affect public trust and perception of the government's management of pandemic relief.
Reasoning
- The CEASE Act focuses on accountability and transparency of COVID-19 relief funds, which indirectly affects a large segment of the U.S. population since these funds touch many aspects of society.
- The direct impacts may be low for individuals unless they are involved in federal budgeting, policy analysis, or are stakeholders expecting reallocations.
- For a fair representation, interviews should include people across various economic backgrounds and affected sectors like small business owners, unemployed individuals, and general taxpayers.
- The budget constraints suggest a limited direct reach in terms of actionable items resulting from the report, with potential long-term effects hinging on subsequent policy changes.
Simulated Interviews
Small Business Owner (Chicago, IL)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm hopeful the CEASE Act can shed light on how the relief funds were actually spent. Transparency would help businesses like mine understand what support we truly got.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Public Policy Analyst (Seattle, WA)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This bill is crucial for ensuring that funds reach their intended purposes. It could set a precedent for managing future crises.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Unemployed (Miami, FL)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't know how much it will help me personally, but it’s good to know where funds went. Maybe it will lead to more help for people like me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Healthcare Worker (Austin, TX)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this analysis might redirect unused funds to support ongoing healthcare needs—any improvement helps frontline workers.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Retired (New York, NY)
Age: 60 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's vital to ensure that funds have been used appropriately. I'm concerned about debt and this might help curb unnecessary spending.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Tech Worker (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 26 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I trust transparency will improve. Understanding how the relief money was used can shape future tech and remote work policies.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Teacher (Denver, CO)
Age: 39 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Education needs more support. If this leads to identifying misused funds, it could improve our resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Financial Advisor (Boston, MA)
Age: 54 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Monitoring these reports is essential for advising clients. It might influence perceptions of economic health and stability.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Construction Worker (Houston, TX)
Age: 33 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I just hope the report highlights sectors like ours for more support—it has been tough but we need appropriate funding.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Non-Profit Worker (Portland, OR)
Age: 42 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am hopeful it will highlight needs for community-based support. We rely on funding distributions being fair.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $70000000)
Year 2: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 3: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 5: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Monitoring and analysis tools required for auditing extensive financial data from the COVID-19 relief efforts.
- Effectiveness of report findings in leading to tangible policy changes or fund reallocations.
- Scope and depth of the analysis the commission is able to perform within a short time without significant field operations.