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R' fesearch Service
COVID-19 Congressional Oversight
Commission (COC)
Updated January 6, 2022
On March 27, 2020, President Donald Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security
Act (CARES Act) into law (P.L. 116-136). Section 4020 of Title IV, Subtitle A, the Coronavirus
Economic Stabilization Act of 2020, established a five-member Congressional Oversight Commission
(COC) as one of several oversight mechanisms. The COC conduct[s] oversight of the implementation of
this subtitle by the Department of the Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, reports to Congress on the Treasury Secretary's and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors'
actions, and reviews the federal government's implementation of the act. Through January 3, 2022, the
COC has issued 20 reports.
Is the COC a Congressional Commission?
A congressional advisory commission is generally defined as a multimember independent entity that (1) is
established by Congress, (2) exists temporarily, (3) serves in an advisory capacity, (4) is appointed in part
or whole by Members of Congress, and (5) reports to Congress.
This definition differentiates a congressional commission from a presidential commission, an executive
branch commission, or other bodies with commission in their names (e.g., the Federal Election
Commission), while including most entities that fulfill the role commonly perceived for congressional
commissions: namely, studying policy issues and reporting findings to Congress. As enacted, the COC
meets the five criteria outlined above, as shown in Table 1.
Table I. Comparison of Congressional Advisory Commission Criteria and the
Congressional Oversight Commission (COC)
Criteria COC Language
Establishment There is hereby established the Congressional Oversight Commission ... as an
establishment in the legislative branch. (§4020(a))
Exists Temporarily The Oversight Commission shall terminate on September 30, 2025. (§4020(f))
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
IN11304
CRS INSIGHT
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/govegvr0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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