[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1299 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1299

To protect health care workers and first responders, including police, 
firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and other workers at risk of 
workplace exposure to infectious agents and drug resistant infections, 
                             such as MRSA.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 18, 2009

  Mr. Menendez (for himself and Mr. Kennedy) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To protect health care workers and first responders, including police, 
firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and other workers at risk of 
workplace exposure to infectious agents and drug resistant infections, 
                             such as MRSA.

    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 ``Worker Infection Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. PROTECTING WORKERS FROM INFECTIONS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services shall jointly develop and issue workplace standards, 
recommendations, and plans to protect health care workers and first 
responders, including police, firefighters, emergency medical 
personnel, and other workers at risk of workplace exposure to 
infectious agents and drug resistant infections, such as Methicillin-
resistant Staphylococcus aureus (referred to in this Act as ``MRSA'').
    (b) Workplace Safety and Health Standards.--
            (1) Temporary standard.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor, in 
        consultation with the Director of the National Institute for 
        Occupational Safety and Health, pursuant to section 6(c) of the 
        Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 655(c)), 
        shall develop and issue an emergency temporary standard for the 
        protection of health care workers and first responders and 
        other workers at risk of exposure, to prevent occupational 
        exposure to infectious agents and toxins, such as MRSA.
            (2) Permanent standard.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        issuance of the emergency temporary standard under paragraph 
        (1), the Secretary of Labor shall issue a final permanent 
        standard for occupational exposure to infectious agents and 
        toxins, including MRSA, under section 6(b) of the Occupational 
        Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 655(B)).
            (3) Requirements.--The emergency temporary standard and 
        final permanent standard under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall, at 
        a minimum, provide for the following:
                    (A) The development and implementation of an 
                infectious agent control plan in settings where health 
                care is delivered, in order to protect workers from 
                infectious agents, in accordance with the 
                recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and 
                Prevention in the Guideline for Isolation Precautions: 
                Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in 
                Healthcare Settings 2007 and the Management of 
                Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in Healthcare Settings 
                2006.
                    (B) Personal protective equipment, in accordance 
                with the requirements of sections 1910.134 and 1910.132 
                of title 29, Code of Federal Regulations.
                    (C) Training and information in accordance with 
                section III of part IV of the Guideline for Isolation 
                Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious 
                Agents in Healthcare Settings 2007 of the Centers for 
                Disease Control and Prevention, including--
                            (i) providing job-specific training and 
                        education regarding the prevention of 
                        transmission of infectious agents; and
                            (ii) providing instructional materials for 
                        patients and visitors.
                    (D) Appropriate medical surveillance for workers 
                exposed to infections agents, including MRSA.
            (4) Effective date.--The temporary emergency standard 
        issued under paragraph (1) shall take effect not later than 90 
        days after the promulgation of such standard, except that the 
        effective date for any requirements for engineering controls 
        shall go into effect not later than 90 days after the 
        promulgation of the permanent standard under paragraph (2). The 
        provisions of the emergency temporary standard under paragraph 
        (1) shall remain in effect until the permanent standard takes 
        effect under paragraph (2).
                                 <all>