The Dr. Joseph Costa Honoring Essential Americans Risking Their Safety Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-8245
Sponsor: Rep. Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch [D-MD-2]
Introduced: 2020-09-14 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Congressional oversight
Education programs funding
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Government information and archives
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Higher education
Hospital care
Income tax exclusion
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medical education
Medical research
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Nursing
Right of privacy
Student aid and college costs
Wages and earnings
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2020-09-14
text: 

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.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-09-14
text: 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.
action_date: 2020-09-14
text: 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.
action_date: 2020-09-14
text: 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.
action_date: 2020-09-14
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-09-14
text: Introduced in House