Hazard Pay for Health Care Heroes Act
Sponsored By: Representative Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would create a new federal grant program to provide hazard pay and safety supports for essential health care workers during declared emergencies.
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- Frontline health care workers who cannot work remotely could receive hazardous duty pay up to $13 per hour above base wages, capped at $25,000 per worker per year.
- Eligible health care facilities and home health agencies could get grants to cover that pay and to fund safety measures like personal protective equipment and transit alternatives for staff.
- The bill defines a wide set of eligible workers, including direct care workers, medical technologists, public health workers, orderlies, and environmental services staff, and gives the Secretary authority to set detailed eligibility rules. The program would apply to federal, state, local, territorial, Tribal, and public health emergencies and is authorized to be funded as needed.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Hazard pay grants for health workers
If you are an eligible health care worker, your employer would be able to get federal grant money to pay you hazard pay during a declared emergency. Grants would go to public or private nonprofit health care facilities and home health agencies. Grant funds would pay extra hazardous duty compensation of up to $13 per hour in addition to your wages. The total hazardous duty pay from this program for one worker would not exceed $25,000 in a year. Grant money could also be used for safety measures like transit options and protective equipment. Funding would be provided only if Congress appropriates money for the program.
Who counts as eligible health workers
This bill would define who is an eligible health care worker for the hazard pay grants. An eligible worker would be an essential health care worker whose job cannot be done remotely. The bill would list jobs like direct care workers, medical technologists, public health workers, orderlies (SOC code 31-1015), and environmental service, janitorial, or custodial staff in health settings. The Secretary could also add other roles the Secretary decides are essential. The bill would count many types of declared emergencies, including presidential Stafford Act disasters and public health emergencies under section 319.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]
PA • D
Cosponsors
Khanna
CA • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
NJ • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10]
FL • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
McClellan
VA • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2]
HI • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Crockett
TX • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Carson
IN • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Simon
CA • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10]
WA • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Jackson (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35]
TX • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]
MA • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4]
NC • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Sewell
AL • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9]
NY • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7]
WA • D
Sponsored 4/27/2026
Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37]
CA • D
Sponsored 5/7/2026
Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]
VT • D
Sponsored 5/11/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov