The Dr. Joseph Costa Honoring Essential Americans Risking Their Safety Act of 2020
This bill establishes a compensation program for, and registry to monitor the health of, certain individuals who worked in hospitals during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency. It also establishes educational benefits for eligible individuals who provided care to residents of long-term care, skilled nursing, post-acute care, and other nursing facilities during the emergency.
With respect to hospital workers, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must provide funds to hospitals in COVID-19 hot spots for supplemental payments for workers who provide direct care, which may include cleaning and other nonmedical activities, to COVID-19 patients during the emergency.
Additionally, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) must develop a voluntary registry of physicians, nurses, and non-physician health care specialists who worked at a hospital or other care site during the emergency and must monitor the long-term health status of individuals on this registry who test positive for COVID-19. NIOSH must also make the registry available to public health researchers and may award grants to states to facilitate its development.
With respect to the educational benefits, the Department of Education or HHS must repay or cancel a percentage of certain loans for each six-month period an individual works in a qualifying facility, subject to a maximum percentage cap. HHS must also provide eligible individuals with an educational grant, subject to certain conditions, to obtain post-secondary credentials for health care careers in nursing care facilities.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8245 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8245
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make
payments to hospitals in COVID-19 hot spots to provide hero pay to
eligible workers, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 14, 2020
Mr. Ruppersberger introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees
on Education and Labor, and Ways and Means, 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
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make
payments to hospitals in COVID-19 hot spots to provide hero pay to
eligible workers, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as ``The Dr. Joseph Costa Honoring Essential
Americans Risking Their Safety Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. HERO PAY FOR ELIGIBLE WORKERS AT HOSPITALS IN COVID-19 HOT
SPOTS.
(a) Hero Payments.--
(1) In general.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in
this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall make a
payment to each eligible hospital to provide hero pay to each
eligible worker of the hospital.
(2) Eligible hospitals.--To be eligible to seek a payment
under this section, a hospital shall--
(A) be located in an area that is or was a COVID-19
hot spot identified pursuant to subsection (b); and
(B) submit an application at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information and assurances
as the Secretary may require.
(3) Eligible workers.--To be eligible to receive hero pay
pursuant to this section, a worker shall--
(A) be a health care professional (including
individuals charged with assisting in health care
services, the nonmedical care of patients, or
maintaining order and cleanliness) serving as the
employee or agent of a hospital receiving a payment
under this section; and
(B) provide treatment or other applicable services
at the hospital directly to patients with COVID-19.
(4) Payment period.--A hospital receiving a payment under
this section may provide hero pay to a worker under this
section only with respect to months during which--
(A) the hospital is located, for any number of
days, in a COVID-19 hot spot identified pursuant to
subsection (b); and
(B) the worker provides treatment or other
applicable services, as described in paragraph (3), for
a minimum of 10 work days.
(5) Payment amount.--The amount of the hero pay with
respect to an eligible worker shall be--
(A) $110 for March, 2020, if the payment period for
such worker includes such month; and
(B) $225 for any other applicable month.
(6) Exclusion from gross income.--For purposes of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, gross income shall not include
hero pay under this section.
(b) Identification of Hot Spots.--
(1) In general.--For purposes of this section, the Director
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (in this
section referred to as the ``Director'') shall identify all
COVID-19 hot spots in the United States.
(2) Definition.--In this section, the term ``COVID-19 hot
spot'' means an area--
(A) for which a State declaration of emergency is
in effect in connection with COVID-19; and
(B) that has, as determined by the Director, a high
rate of hospitalization associated with COVID-19.
SEC. 3. VOLUNTARY REGISTRY OF CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK AT HIGH RISK
DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
(a) Registry of Employees at Risk of COVID-19.--Beginning not later
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, acting
through the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health shall maintain a registry of individuals who worked, during
the emergency period, as a physician, nurse, or non-physician health
care specialist in a hospital or COVID-19 alternative care site.
(b) Consent Required for Inclusion.--The Director shall--
(1) include an individual in the registry under this
section only with the individual's consent; and
(2) allow individuals in the registry, at any time, to opt
out of the registry under this section and health monitoring
under subsection (d).
(c) Grants to States.--The Director may award grants to States to
encourage and facilitate the inclusion of eligible individuals in the
registry under this section.
(d) Health Monitoring.--
(1) In general.--Beginning not later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall
monitor the health of the individuals in the registry under
this section who, at some point during or after the emergency
period, tested positive through diagnostic or serological
testing for a present or past infection with the virus that
causes COVID-19.
(2) Duration.--Subject to subsection (b)(2), in carrying
out monitoring under paragraph (1), the Director shall, with
respect to each individual in the registry under this section,
conduct such monitoring for the lifetime of the individual.
(e) Privacy Requirements.--The data collection and analysis
necessary for the registry under this section and monitoring under
subsection (d) shall be conducted and maintained in a manner that
protects the confidentiality of individually identifiable health
information consistent with applicable statutes and regulations,
including, as applicable, HIPAA privacy and security law (as defined in
section 3009(a)(2) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300jj-
19(a)(2)) and section 552a of title 5, United States Code.
(f) Availability for Research.--Subject to subsection (e), in
addition to using the registry under this subsection for health
monitoring under subsection (d), the Director shall make the
information in the registry available to researchers for public health
research.
(g) Preliminary Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress a
preliminary report on overall health outcomes of individuals in the
registry under subsection (a), including--
(1) recommendations on best practices for protecting
workers described in subsection (a) during the COVID-19
pandemic; and
(2) recommendations on how to compensate individuals in the
registry under subsection (a) for health care costs, which may
include costs for acute and chronic conditions and mental
health conditions, that develop as a result of contracting the
virus that causes COVID-19.
(h) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.
(2) Emergency period.--The term ``emergency period'' has
the meaning given to that term in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-5(g)(1)(B))
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States and the District of Columbia.
SEC. 4. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR SERVICE IN A LONG-TERM CARE OR NURSING
HOME FACILITY.
(a) In General.--During a qualifying COVID-19 emergency, the
Secretary of Education or the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
as applicable, shall repay or cancel 10 percent of the outstanding
balance of principal and interest due on the eligible Federal loans and
the private education loans of a borrower for each 6-month period of
service completed by the borrower.
(b) Limitation.--The total amount of loans of a borrower repaid or
cancelled under paragraph (1) may not exceed 50 percent of the
outstanding balance of principal and interest due on such loans on the
first day of the first 6-month period of service with respect to which
such loans are repaid or cancelled.
(c) Treatment Under IRC.--The amount of a loan, and interest on a
loan, which is canceled or repaid under this section shall not be
considered income to the borrower for purposes of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Eligible federal loan.--The term ``eligible Federal
loan'' means--
(A) made, insured, or guaranteed under part B, part
D, or part E of title IV of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq., 1087a et seq., or 1087aa
et seq.);
(B) made under subpart II of part A of title VII of
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 292q et seq.);
or
(C) made under part E of title VIII of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 297a et seq.).
(2) Qualifying covid-19 emergency.--The term ``qualifying
COVID-19 emergency'' has the meaning given to the term
``qualifying emergency'' in section 3502(a) of the CARES Act
(Public Law 116-136).
(3) Period of service.--The term ``period of service'',
used with respect to a borrower, means a period in which the
borrower--
(A) is employed in a long-term care facility,
nursing home facility, skilled nursing facility, or
post-acute care facility located in a jurisdiction with
respect to which a qualifying COVID-19 emergency has
been declared; and
(B) provides care directly to an individual in such
facility at least 10 days per month.
(4) Private education loan.--The term ``private education
loan'' has the meaning given such term under section 140(a) of
the Truth in Lending Act.
SEC. 5. GRANTS FOR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING.
(a) Grant Authorized.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall pay to each eligible individual who submits an application under
subsection (b), a grant equal to 50 percent of the cost of the tuition
and fees for eligible professional training, which may not exceed
$1,000 per individual.
(b) Application.--To receive a grant under this section, an
eligible individual shall submit an application to the Secretary at
such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require, which shall include an agreement to commit to
employment, for not less than a 2-year period after receiving the
eligible professional training for which the grant is awarded, at a
long-term care facility, nursing home facility, skilled nursing
facility, or post-acute care facility and at which the individual will
provide care directly to an individual in such facility at least 10
days per month for such 2-year period.
(c) Repayment.--
(1) In general.--In the event that an eligible individual
fails or refuses to comply with the employment commitment under
subsection (b), the sum of the amounts of any grant received by
such individual may, upon a determination of such a failure or
refusal in such employment commitment, be subject to repayment,
together with interest thereon accruing from the date of the
grant award, in accordance with terms and conditions specified
by the Secretary in regulations under this section.
(2) Extenuating circumstances.--The Secretary may waive any
repayment requirement under paragraph (1) in the event of
extenuating circumstances.
(d) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(1) Eligible individual.--The term ``eligible individual''
means an individual who is employed, and provides the care, as
described in section 4(d)(3).
(2) Eligible professional training.--The term ``eligible
professional training'' means training that leads to a
recognized postsecondary credential for a health care career in
a long-term care facility, nursing home facility, skilled
nursing facility, or post-acute care facility.
(3) Recognized postsecondary credential.--The term
``recognized postsecondary credential'' has the meaning given
the term in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, and Ways and Means, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, and Ways and Means, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, and Ways and Means, 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.
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