"Most Americans don't have that safety emergency bank account even for a short term, what to speak of if you're talking about weeks, or in this case people are looking at potentially months," Gabbard said in an interview on Hill.TV.
Her proposal, H.R. 897, would give a UBI of $1,000 per month to all adult Americans "until COVID-19 no longer presents a public health emergency."
The idea of a UBI of $1,000 a month was made popular by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, who made the program a centerpiece of his campaign.
Coronavirus has killed at least 40 Americans and there are more than 1,700 cases nationwide as of Friday morning, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The spread of the virus has sparked wide concerns about the economy, leading to the cancellation of numerous events and conferences.
Gabbard remains in the presidential though her campaign is widely seen as unviable. Former Vice President Joe Biden has built a wide lead in the delegate count for the Democratic nomination followed by his chief rival Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).