[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8484 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8484
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for emergency grants
to safeguard essential health care workers, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 23, 2026
Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania (for herself, Mr. Khanna, Ms. Norton, Mrs.
Watson Coleman, Mr. Frost, Mr. Garcia of California, Ms. McClellan, Ms.
Tokuda, Ms. Crockett, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Carson, Ms. Simon, Ms. Strickland,
Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Casar, Ms. Pressley, Mrs. Foushee, Ms.
Sewell, and Ms. Clarke of New York) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for emergency grants
to safeguard essential health care 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 ``Hazard Pay for Health Care Heroes
Act''.
SEC. 2. SAFEGUARDING ESSENTIAL HEALTH CARE WORKERS.
The Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section
319D-1 (42 U.S.C. 247d-4b) the following:
``SEC. 319D-2. EMERGENCY GRANTS TO SAFEGUARD ESSENTIAL HEALTH CARE
WORKERS.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Emergency or disaster.--The term `emergency or
disaster' means--
``(A) a major disaster declared by the President
under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act;
``(B) an emergency declared by the President under
section 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief
and Emergency Assistance Act;
``(C) a national emergency declared by the
President under the National Emergencies Act;
``(D) a public health emergency declared under
section 319; and
``(E) a State, local, territorial, or Tribal
emergency or disaster, as declared by the applicable
State, local, territorial, or Tribal government.
``(2) Eligible health care worker.--The term `eligible
health care worker' means an essential health care worker whose
work cannot be conducted remotely.
``(3) Essential health care worker.--The term `essential
health care worker' means--
``(A) a health care provider, including a direct
care worker (as defined in section 799B);
``(B) a medical technologist;
``(C) a public health worker;
``(D) an orderly (as defined in the 2010 Standard
Occupational Classifications of the Department of Labor
under the code for Orderlies (31-1015));
``(E) an environmental service, janitorial, or
custodial worker in a health care setting; and
``(F) any other professional role that the
Secretary determines is essential to the care of
patients or the maintenance of public health.
``(b) Grants.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may make grants to public
or private nonprofit health care facilities and home health
agencies for use in accordance with paragraph (2).
``(2) Use of funds.--
``(A) Hazardous duty compensation.--
``(i) In general.--The recipient of a grant
under paragraph (1) shall use the grant funds
to provide hazardous duty compensation to
eligible health care workers for work performed
during the period of an emergency or disaster
in cases in which the Secretary determines
that--
``(I) the performance of the work
by the eligible health care worker for
the applicable health care facility or
home health agency is hazardous; or
``(II) the commute of the eligible
health care worker is hazardous.
``(ii) Requirement.--
``(I) In general.--Subject to
subclause (II), the amount of hazardous
duty compensation under clause (i)
shall be not more than $13 per hour,
which shall be in addition to the wages
or remuneration the eligible health
care worker otherwise receives for the
work.
``(II) Maximum amount.--The total
amount of hazardous duty compensation
received by any 1 eligible health care
worker under this subparagraph may not
exceed $25,000 per year.
``(B) Additional uses.--The recipient of a grant
under paragraph (1) may use the grant funds to provide
safety measures to safeguard and protect eligible
health care workers from hazards due to the applicable
emergency or disaster, including alternative transit
options, personal protective equipment, and other
safety measures.
``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be
necessary.''.
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