Getting Americans Safely Back to Work Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.953 | Sponsor: Rep. Spanberger, Abigail Davis (D-VA)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Getting Americans Safely Back to Work Act of 2021
This bill establishes a grant program for health departments to assist workplaces in implementing measures to protect essential workers from COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
To carry out this program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must consult with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In addition, the CDC must consult with employers and representatives of essential workers on recommended measures to contain and mitigate COVID-19 and on other aspects of the program.

To provide for the establishment of a COVID-19 containment and 
mitigation for essential workers program for assisting small businesses 
and employee representatives of essential workers to reopen or operate 
 consistent with guidance and practices intended to prevent the spread 
                  of COVID-19, 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 ``Getting Americans Safely Back to 
Work Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO STATE, LOCAL, TRIBAL, OR TERRITORIAL HEALTH 
              DEPARTMENTS FOR COVID-19 CONTAINMENT AND MITIGATION FOR 
              ESSENTIAL WORKERS.

    (a) Program.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in consultation with the 
Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 
and Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health, shall 
establish a COVID-19 containment and mitigation for essential workers 
program consisting of awarding grants under subsection (b).
    (b) Grants.--For the purpose of improving essential worker safety, 
the Secretary--
            (1) shall award a grant to each State health department; 
        and
            (2) may award grants on a competitive basis to State, 
        local, Tribal, or territorial health departments.
    (c) Use of Funds.--A State, local, Tribal, or territorial health 
department receiving a grant under subsection (b) shall use the grant 
funds--
            (1) to purchase or procure personal protective equipment 
        and rapid testing equipment and supplies for distribution to 
        employers of essential workers, including public employers; or
            (2) to support the implementation of other workplace safety 
        measures for use in containment and mitigation of COVID-19 
        transmission among essential workers in their workplaces, 
        including workplaces of public employers.
    (d) Formula Grants to State Health Departments.--In making grants 
under subsection (b)(1), the Secretary shall award funds to each State 
health department in accordance with a formula based on overall 
population size, essential workers population size, and burden of 
COVID-19.
    (e) Competitive Grants to State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial 
Health Departments.--In making grants under subsection (b)(2), the 
Secretary shall give priority to applicants demonstrating a commitment 
to containing and mitigating COVID-19 among racial and ethnic minority 
groups who are disproportionately represented in essential worker 
settings.
    (f) No Duplicative Assistance.--The Secretary may not provide, and 
a State, local, Tribal, or territorial health department or employer of 
essential workers may not accept, assistance under this section for 
containment and mitigation of COVID-19 transmission among essential 
workers in their workplaces with respect to which--
            (1) the State, local, Tribal, or territorial health 
        department or employer of essential workers receives assistance 
        from other sources for such purposes; or
            (2) other sources are obligated to provide assistance to 
        such health department or employer for such purposes.
    (g) Technical Assistance.--In carrying out the program under this 
section, the Secretary shall provide technical assistance to State, 
local, Tribal, or territorial health departments.
    (h) Report.--No later than 90 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, and every 90 days thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Education and 
Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report on the activities 
funded through this section, including--
            (1) the amount expended and the awardees under subsection 
        (b)(1);
            (2) the amount expended and the awardees under subsection 
        (b)(2);
            (3) the total amount remaining of the amounts appropriated 
        or otherwise made available to carry out this section; and
            (4) evaluating the progress of State, local, Tribal, and 
        territorial health departments in reducing COVID-19 burden 
        among essential workers.

SEC. 3. CONSULTATION WITH ESSENTIAL WORKER EMPLOYERS AND ESSENTIAL 
              WORKERS.

    (a) In General.--In developing the COVID-19 containment and 
mitigation for essential workers program under section 2 and in 
determining criteria for distribution of competitive grants under 
section 2(b)(2), the Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in consultation with the 
Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
shall consult in advance with--
            (1) employers of essential workers; and
            (2) representatives of essential workers.
    (b) Optional Advance Consultation.--A State health department may, 
before receiving funds through a grant under section 2, consult with 
employers of essential workers and representatives of essential workers 
in determining--
            (1) priorities for the use of such funds; and
            (2) the distribution of COVID-19 containment and mitigation 
        equipment and supplies.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Containment and mitigation.--The term ``containment and 
        mitigation'' includes--
                    (A) the use of--
                            (i) personal protective equipment; and
                            (ii) other protections, including expanding 
                        or improving workplace infrastructure through 
                        engineering and work practice controls, such as 
                        ventilation systems, plexiglass partitions, air 
                        filters, and the use of hand sanitizer or 
                        sanitation supplies;
                    (B) access to medical evaluations, testing 
                (including rapid testing), and contact tracing; and
                    (C) other related activities or equipment 
                recommended or required by the Director of Centers of 
                Disease Control and Prevention or required pursuant to 
                the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 
                U.S.C. 651 et seq.) or a State plan approved pursuant 
                to section 18 of that Act (29 U.S.C. 667).
            (2) Essential worker.--The term ``essential worker'' refers 
        to--
                    (A) the ``essential critical infrastructure 
                workers'' identified in the Department of Homeland 
                Security's ``Advisory Memorandum on Ensuring Essential 
                Critical Infrastructure Workers Ability to Work During 
                the COVID-19 Response'' released on August 18, 2020 (or 
                any successor document); and
                    (B) workers included as essential workers in 
                executive orders issued by the Governor of a State.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.
            (4) Small business.--The term ``small business'' means--
                    (A) a small business concern described in section 
                31(b)(2)(C) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
                657a(b)(2)(C)); or
                    (B) an individual who operates--
                            (i) under a sole proprietorship;
                            (ii) as an independent contractor; or
                            (iii) as an eligible self-employed 
                        individual.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--To carry out this Act, there is authorized to be 
appropriated $1,000,000,000, to remain available until expended.
    (b) Small Businesses.--Of the amounts made available to grantees 
pursuant to section 2, at least $250,000,000 shall be reserved for 
small businesses.
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