Title: The Dr. Joseph Costa Honoring Essential Americans Risking Their Safety Act of 2020
Policy area: Health

Summary:
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)]

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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).
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