Title: Essential Worker Protection Act of 2020
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
Essential Worker Protection Act of 2020
This bill requires the Department of Labor to convene an interagency task force to issue guidance on the development and implementation of a comprehensive infectious disease exposure control plan to protect employees identified as having an elevated risk from occupational exposure to the coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19).

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6631 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6631

To direct the Secretary of Labor to establish an interagency task force 
      on worker protection from COVID-19, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 28, 2020

Ms. Stevens (for herself and Mr. Pappas) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Labor to establish an interagency task force 
      on worker protection from 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 ``Essential Worker Protection Act of 
2020''.

SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON WORKER PROTECTION FROM COVID-19.

    (a) Task Force.--Not later than 1 month after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall convene an 
interagency task force--
            (1) to issue guidance with respect to the protection from 
        occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 of covered employees; and
            (2) to take such steps as may be necessary to disseminate 
        such guidance to such employees (and their employers), 
        including by publication of such guidance on the public website 
        of the Department of Labor.
    (b) Composition.--The task force convened under subsection (a) 
shall be chaired by the Secretary of Labor and include the following 
members:
            (1) The Secretary of Commerce.
            (2) The Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
            (3) The Secretary of Health and Human Services.
            (4) The Commissioner of Food and Drugs.
            (5) The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention.
            (6) The Secretary of Transportation.
            (7) The Secretary of Defense.
            (8) The Secretary of Homeland Security.
            (9) Any the head of any other Federal agency determined to 
        be relevant by the Secretary of Labor.
    (c) Guidance Contents.--The guidance issued under subsection (a) 
shall include recommendations to employers of covered employees on the 
development and implementation of a comprehensive infectious disease 
exposure control plan that--
            (1) includes appropriate production schedules to follow the 
        social distancing guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control 
        and Prevention;
            (2) includes regular extensive deep cleaning of facilities 
        and equipment between shifts; and
            (3) provides for education and training of such employees, 
        and ensures that such employers are communicating information 
        to employees in an appropriate and timely manner, particularly 
        in cases in which an employee may have been exposed other 
        individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19.
    (d) Updates.--The guidance issued under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) be updated as necessary to keep covered employees 
        apprised of the latest developments with respect to the 
        prevention of the spread of COVID-19 until such time as--
                    (A) there is a treatment or vaccine approved or 
                licensed under section 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, 
                and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355) or section 351 of the 
                Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262) for the 
                treatment or prevention of COVID-19; and
                    (B) such treatment or vaccine is widely available 
                within the United States; and
            (2) be disseminated to covered employees (and their 
        employers) as so updated, including through publication on the 
        public website of the Department of Labor.
    (e) Covered Employees Defined.--In this section, the term ``covered 
employees'' means employees (other than employees of health care sector 
employers) who have been identified as having an elevated risk of 
exposure to SARS-CoV-2 by the Secretary of Labor or the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, including the following:
            (1) Grocery store employees.
            (2) First responders (including emergency medical system 
        employees, firefighters, and law enforcement officials).
            (3) Manufacturers, including manufacturers of personal 
        protective equipment.
            (4) Employees in the transportation industry.
            (5) 9-1-1 call center operators.
            (6) Workers supporting the energy grid.
            (7) Pharmacists.
            (8) Employees in the hospitality industry.
            (9) Employees in the cybersecurity industry.
            (10) Mortuary service employees.
            (11) Employees working in or operating drinking water and 
        wastewater facilities.
            (12) Employees of banks.
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