Title: To direct the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to establish an occupational research program on mental health.
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
This bill requires the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to carry out a research program to develop recommendations for supporting workers who are exposed to and affected by workplace stressors that contribute to adverse mental health outcomes.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8887 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8887

To direct the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to 
      establish an occupational research program on mental health.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 19, 2022

  Mr. Mrvan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to 
      establish an occupational research program on mental health.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. OCCUPATIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAM ON MENTAL HEALTH.

    (a) In General.--The Director of the National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health (in this section referred to as the 
``Institute'') shall establish a research program to identify and apply 
comprehensive approaches to support frontline, essential, and other 
affected workers across all industries and occupations exposed to and 
affected by workplace stressors that contribute to adverse mental 
health outcomes, including traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, 
suicide, and related mental health conditions. In designing such 
research program, the Director shall, in consultation with the heads of 
other Federal departments and agencies, as appropriate, address 
workplace stressors such as--
            (1) traumatic grief resulting from COVID-19-related death 
        or injury in the workplace;
            (2) conditions of employment or places of employment, 
        including consecutive shifts, increases in shift duration, 
        changes in workplace protocols, or increases in workloads and 
        demands due to insufficient resources, which can result in 
        fatal, near-fatal, or other serious occupational injuries or 
        illnesses; or
            (3) workplace violence or other physical and psychological 
        hazards that contribute to worker injury or illness on the job, 
        including poor mental health outcomes among workers.
    (b) Best Practices and Recommendations.--As part of the research 
program established under this section, the Director shall develop best 
practices or recommendations for organizational-level workplace 
interventions and support services that would both prevent worker 
injury or illness and reduce the risk of such adverse mental health 
outcomes among frontline, essential, and other affected workers across 
all industries and occupations, including wraparound services, mental 
health awareness initiatives, workplace stress prevention programs, and 
training programs to promote work-related stress prevention and 
reduction and organizational resilience, to include specific strategies 
for preventing burnout among workers.
    (c) Additional Support.--As part of such research program, the 
Director shall also coordinate and support efforts through other 
research programs carried out by the Institute, including the 
Institute's Total Worker Health program, to develop comprehensive, 
evidence-informed approaches to support mental and behavioral health as 
a part of worker wellbeing and related occupational safety and health 
programs.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Director shall--
            (1) report to the Committee on Education and Labor of the 
        House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, 
        Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate on the extent to 
        which best practices or recommendations developed pursuant to 
        subsection (b) have been adopted by relevant stakeholders; and
            (2) engage in education and outreach activities with 
        employers, health care providers, nonprofit organizations, 
        workers, labor organizations, and related stakeholders to 
        support such adoption.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2023 through 2025.
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