H.R. 8484

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8484 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8484

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for emergency grants 
to safeguard essential health care workers, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 23, 2026

Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania (for herself, Mr. Khanna, Ms. Norton, Mrs. 
Watson Coleman, Mr. Frost, Mr. Garcia of California, Ms. McClellan, Ms. 
Tokuda, Ms. Crockett, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Carson, Ms. Simon, Ms. Strickland, 
Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Casar, Ms. Pressley, Mrs. Foushee, Ms. 
Sewell, and Ms. Clarke of New York) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for emergency grants 
to safeguard essential health care 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 ``Hazard Pay for Health Care Heroes 
Act''.

SEC. 2. SAFEGUARDING ESSENTIAL HEALTH CARE WORKERS.

The Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 
319D-1 (42 U.S.C. 247d-4b) the following:

``SEC. 319D-2. EMERGENCY GRANTS TO SAFEGUARD ESSENTIAL HEALTH CARE 
WORKERS.

``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Emergency or disaster.--The term `emergency or 
disaster' means--
``(A) a major disaster declared by the President 
under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act;
``(B) an emergency declared by the President under 
section 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act;
``(C) a national emergency declared by the 
President under the National Emergencies Act;
``(D) a public health emergency declared under 
section 319; and
``(E) a State, local, territorial, or Tribal 
emergency or disaster, as declared by the applicable 
State, local, territorial, or Tribal government.
``(2) Eligible health care worker.--The term `eligible 
health care worker' means an essential health care worker whose 
work cannot be conducted remotely.
``(3) Essential health care worker.--The term `essential 
health care worker' means--
``(A) a health care provider, including a direct 
care worker (as defined in section 799B);
``(B) a medical technologist;
``(C) a public health worker;
``(D) an orderly (as defined in the 2010 Standard 
Occupational Classifications of the Department of Labor 
under the code for Orderlies (31-1015));
``(E) an environmental service, janitorial, or 
custodial worker in a health care setting; and
``(F) any other professional role that the 
Secretary determines is essential to the care of 
patients or the maintenance of public health.
``(b) Grants.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may make grants to public 
or private nonprofit health care facilities and home health 
agencies for use in accordance with paragraph (2).
``(2) Use of funds.--
``(A) Hazardous duty compensation.--
``(i) In general.--The recipient of a grant 
under paragraph (1) shall use the grant funds 
to provide hazardous duty compensation to 
eligible health care workers for work performed 
during the period of an emergency or disaster 
in cases in which the Secretary determines 
that--
``(I) the performance of the work 
by the eligible health care worker for 
the applicable health care facility or 
home health agency is hazardous; or
``(II) the commute of the eligible 
health care worker is hazardous.
``(ii) Requirement.--
``(I) In general.--Subject to 
subclause (II), the amount of hazardous 
duty compensation under clause (i) 
shall be not more than $13 per hour, 
which shall be in addition to the wages 
or remuneration the eligible health 
care worker otherwise receives for the 
work.
``(II) Maximum amount.--The total 
amount of hazardous duty compensation 
received by any 1 eligible health care 
worker under this subparagraph may not 
exceed $25,000 per year.
``(B) Additional uses.--The recipient of a grant 
under paragraph (1) may use the grant funds to provide 
safety measures to safeguard and protect eligible 
health care workers from hazards due to the applicable 
emergency or disaster, including alternative transit 
options, personal protective equipment, and other 
safety measures.
``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be 
necessary.''.
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