,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #hbde ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,september #ad1 #bjbj,mr4 ,ruppersberger introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,education and ,labor1 and ,ways and ,means1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 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-#ai hot spots to provide hero pay to eligible workers1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as ,the ,dr4 ,joseph ,costa ,honoring ,essential ,americans ,risking ,their ,safety ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,hero pay for eligible workers at hospitals in ,,covid-#ai hot spots 7a7 ,hero payments 7#a7 ,in general ,subject to the availability of appropriations1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services 7in this section referred to as the ,secretary7 shall make a payment to each eligible hospital to provide hero pay to each eligible worker of the hospital4 7#b7 ,eligible hospitals ,to be eligible to seek a payment under this section1 a hospital shall-- 7,a7 be located in an area that is or was a ,,covid-#ai hot spot identified pursuant to subsection 7b72 and 7,b7 submit an application at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information and assurances as the ,secretary may require4 7#c7 ,eligible workers ,to be eligible to receive hero pay pursuant to this section1 a worker shall-- 7,a7 be a health care professional 7including individuals charged with assisting in health care services1 the nonmedical care of patients1 or maintaining order and cleanliness7 serving as the employee or agent of a hospital receiving a payment under this section2 and 7,b7 provide treatment or other applicable services at the hospital directly to patients with ,,covid-#ai4 7#d7 ,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-- 7,a7 the hospital is located1 for any number of days1 in a ,,covid-#ai hot spot identified pursuant to subsection 7b72 and 7,b7 the worker provides treatment or other applicable services1 as described in paragraph 7#c71 for a minimum of #aj work days4 7#e7 ,payment amount ,the amount of the hero pay with respect to an eligible worker shall be-- 7,a7 #aaj for ,march1 #bjbj1 if the payment period for such worker includes such month2 and 7,b7 #bbe for any other applicable month4 7#f7 ,exclusion from gross income ,for purposes of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf1 gross income shall not include hero pay under this section4 7b7 ,identification of hot spots 7#a7 ,in general ,for purposes of this section1 the ,director of the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention 7in this section referred to as the ,director7 shall identify all ,,covid-#ai hot spots in the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,definition ,in this section1 the term ,,covid-#ai hot spot means an area-- 7,a7 for which a ,state declaration of emergency is in effect in connection with ,,covid-#ai2 and 7,b7 that has1 as determined by the ,director1 a high rate of hospitalization associated with ,,covid-#ai4 #c4 ,voluntary registry of certain individuals who work at high risk during ,,covid-#ai pandemic 7a7 ,registry of employees at risk of ,,covid-#ai ,beginning not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 acting through the ,director of the ,national ,institute for ,occupational ,safety and ,health shall maintain a registry of individuals who worked1 during the emergency period1 as a physician1 nurse1 or non-physician health care specialist in a hospital or ,,covid-#ai alternative care site4 7b7 ,consent required for inclusion ,the ,director shall-- 7#a7 include an individual in the registry under this section only with the individual's consent2 and 7#b7 allow individuals in the registry1 at any time1 to opt out of the registry under this section and health monitoring under subsection 7d74 7c7 ,grants to ,states ,the ,director may award grants to ,states to encourage and facilitate the inclusion of eligible individuals in the registry under this section4 7d7 ,health monitoring 7#a7 ,in general ,beginning not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,director shall monitor the health of the individuals in the registry under this section who1 at some point during or after the emergency period1 tested positive through diagnostic or serological testing for a present or past infection with the virus that causes ,,covid-#ai4 7#b7 ,duration ,subject to subsection 7b77#b71 in carrying out monitoring under paragraph 7#a71 the ,director shall1 with respect to each individual in the registry under this section1 conduct such monitoring for the lifetime of the individual4 7e7 ,privacy requirements ,the data collection and analysis necessary for the registry under this section and monitoring under subsection 7d7 shall be conducted and maintained in a manner that protects the confidentiality of individually identifiable health information consistent with applicable statutes and regulations1 including1 as applicable1 ,,hipaa privacy and security law 7as defined in section #cjji7;a77#b7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;jj-#ai7;a77#b77 and section #eeb;a of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4 7f7 ,availability for research ,subject to subsection 7e71 in addition to using the registry under this subsection for health monitoring under subsection 7d71 the ,director shall make the information in the registry available to researchers for public health research4 7g7 ,preliminary report ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,director shall submit to ,congress a preliminary report on overall health outcomes of individuals in the registry under subsection 7a71 including-- 7#a7 recommendations on best practices for protecting workers described in subsection 7a7 during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 and 7#b7 recommendations on how to compensate individuals in the registry under subsection 7a7 for health care costs1 which may include costs for acute and chronic conditions and mental health conditions1 that develop as a result of contracting the virus that causes ,,covid-#ai4 7h7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,director ,the term ,director means the ,director of the ,national ,institute of ,occupational ,safety and ,health4 7#b7 ,emergency period ,the term emergency period has the meaning given to that term in section #aace7;g77#a77;,b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acbj;b-#e7;g77#a77;,b77 7#c7 ,state ,the term ,state means each of the several ,states and the ,district of ,columbia4 #d4 ,loan forgiveness for service in a long-term care or nursing home facility 7a7 ,in general ,during a qualifying ,,covid-#ai emergency1 the ,secretary of ,education or the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 as applicable1 shall repay or cancel #aj 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 #f-month period of service completed by the borrower4 7b7 ,limitation ,the total amount of loans of a borrower repaid or cancelled under paragraph 7#a7 may not exceed #ej percent of the outstanding balance of principal and interest due on such loans on the first day of the first #f-month period of service with respect to which such loans are repaid or cancelled4 7c7 ,treatment under ,,irc ,the amount of a loan1 and interest on a loan1 which is canceled or repaid under this section shall not be considered income to the borrower for purposes of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf4 7d7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,eligible ,federal loan ,the term eligible ,federal loan means-- 7,a7 made1 insured1 or guaranteed under part ,b1 part ,d1 or part ,e of title ,,iv of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajga et seq41 #ajhg;a et seq41 or #ajhg;aa et seq472 7,b7 made under subpart ,,ii of part ,a of title ,,vii of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bibq et seq472 or 7,c7 made under part ,e of title ,,viii of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #big;a et seq474 7#b7 ,qualifying ,,covid-#ai emergency ,the term qualifying ,,covid-#ai emergency has the meaning given to the term qualifying emergency in section #cejb7;a7 of the ,,cares ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-acf74 7#c7 ,period of service ,the term period of service1 used with respect to a borrower1 means a period in which the borrower-- 7,a7 is employed in a long-term care facility1 nursing home facility1 skilled nursing facility1 or post-acute care facility located in a jurisdiction with respect to which a qualifying ,,covid-#ai emergency has been declared2 and 7,b7 provides care directly to an individual in such facility at least #aj days per month4 7#d7 ,private education loan ,the term private education loan has the meaning given such term under section #adj7;a7 of the ,truth in ,lending ,act4 #e4 ,grants for professional training 7a7 ,grant authorized ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall pay to each eligible individual who submits an application under subsection 7b71 a grant equal to #ej percent of the cost of the tuition and fees for eligible professional training1 which may not exceed #a1jjj per individual4 7b7 ,application ,to receive a grant under this section1 an eligible individual shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require1 which shall include an agreement to commit to employment1 for not less than a #b-year period after receiving the eligible professional training for which the grant is awarded1 at a long-term care facility1 nursing home facility1 skilled nursing facility1 or post-acute care facility and at which the individual will provide care directly to an individual in such facility at least #aj days per month for such #b-year period4 7c7 ,repayment 7#a7 ,in general ,in the event that an eligible individual fails or refuses to comply with the employment commitment under subsection 7b71 the sum of the amounts of any grant received by such individual may1 upon a determination of such a failure or refusal in such employment commitment1 be subject to repayment1 together with interest thereon accruing from the date of the grant award1 in accordance with terms and conditions specified by the ,secretary in regulations under this section4 7#b7 ,extenuating circumstances ,the ,secretary may waive any repayment requirement under paragraph 7#a7 in the event of extenuating circumstances4 7d7 ,definitions ,in this subsection3 7#a7 ,eligible individual ,the term eligible individual means an individual who is employed1 and provides the care1 as described in section #d7;d77#c74 7#b7 ,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 facility1 nursing home facility1 skilled nursing facility1 or post-acute care facility4 7#c7 ,recognized postsecondary credential ,the term recognized postsecondary credential has the meaning given the term in section #c of the ,workforce ,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #cajb74