,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #hdda ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,september #bi1 #bjbj,mrs4 ,torres of ,california 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 ,mr4 ,suozzi1 ,mr4 ,soto1 ,mr4 ,hastings1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,ms4 ,roybal-,allard1 ,mr4 ,raskin1 ,mr4 ,cisneros1 ,mr4 ,connolly1 ,mr4 ,vela1 ,mrs4 ,napolitano1 ,ms4 ,sewell of ,alabama1 ,ms4 ,norton1 and ,mr4 ,carson of ,indiana7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and in addition to the ,committees on the ,judiciary1 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 establish certain protections and benefits for front line workers1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,frontline ,heroes ,act4 #b4 ,data on infections and mortalities of employees and contractors at healthcare facilities 7a7 ,data collection ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services 7in this section referred to as the ,secretary7 acting through the ,director of the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention shall-- 7#a7 collect data on ,,covid-#ai infections and the related mortalities or mortality rate of employees and contractors at nursing homes1 long-term care facilities1 hospitals1 and other healthcare facilities nationwide2 and 7#b7 compile such data1 redacted to exclude any personally identifiable information1 into a database disaggregated by geographic region4 7b7 ,required reporting to ,secretary ,during the ,,covid-#ai emergency period1 the ,secretary-- 7#a7 may require a nursing home1 long-term care facility1 hospital1 or other healthcare facility to report the data described in subsection 7a77#a7 in the possession of the respective facility as a condition on the receipt by such facility of any ,federal funds1 and shall require such reporting as a condition on the receipt by such facility of any funds made available under-- 7,a7 the ,coronavirus ,preparedness and ,response ,supplemental ,appropriations ,act1 #bjbj 7,public ,law #aaf-abc72 7,b7 the ,families ,first ,coronavirus ,response ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-abg72 7,c7 the ,,cares ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-acf72 and 7,d7 the ,paycheck ,protection ,program and ,health ,care ,enhancement ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-aci72 and 7,e7 any other ,federal statute enacted in response to the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 and 7#b7 may require such reporting to be made in such form1 in such manner1 and by such time as the ,secretary determines4 7c7 ,report to ,congress ,not later than #ij days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 ,secretary shall submit a report on the status of data collection under this section and any initial findings and conclusions resulting from such collection to the appropriate congressional committees1 including-- 7#a7 the ,committee on ,appropriations and the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7#b7 the ,committee on ,appropriations and the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate4 7d7 ,definition ,in this section1 the term ,,covid-#ai emergency period has the meaning given to the term emergency period in section #aace7;g77#a77;,b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acbj;b-#e7;g77#a77;,b774 #c4 ,,cdc study on long-term impact of ,,covid-#ai ,not later than #bjj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,director of the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention shall submit to the appropriate ,committees of ,congress1 including the ,committees described under section #b7;c71 a report containing the results of a study on the long-term health impacts of ,,covid-#ai1 including the potential to cause a disability 7as defined in section #c7a7 of the ,americans with ,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abajb7a7774 #d4 ,,covid-#ai ,frontline ,healthcare ,heroes ,survivor and ,disability ,benefits ,program 7a7 ,filing claim 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,assistant ,attorney ,general of the ,civil ,division of the ,department of ,justice shall establish and implement the ,,covid-#ai ,frontline ,healthcare ,heroes ,survivor and ,disability ,benefits ,compensation ,program1 under which a claimant may file a claim for compensation for death or disability related to ,,covid-#ai with the ,assistant ,attorney ,general by mail or on an online portal created by the ,assistant ,attorney ,general4 7#b7 ,website ,the ,assistant ,attorney ,general of the ,civil ,division of the ,department of ,justice shall publish on the ,department of ,justice website instructions for submitting a claim for compensation under this section4 7b7 ,eligibility ,the following claimants shall be eligible to receive compensation under this section3 7#a7 ,a claimant who was a frontline healthcare worker at the time that the claimant received a ,,covid-#ai diagnosis or in the #de-;day period before such diagnosis4 7#b7 ,in the case that the frontline healthcare worker is deceased1 a survivor of a frontline healthcare worker described in paragraph 7#a7 in the following order of precedence3 7,a7 ,the surviving spouse of the frontline healthcare worker described in paragraph 7#a7 if the spouse was married to the claimant for at least #a year before the frontline healthcare worker's death4 7,b7 ,if there is no person meeting the requirements of subparagraph 7,a71 the children of the frontline healthcare worker described in paragraph 7#a71 in equal shares4 7,c7 ,if there is no person meeting the requirements of subparagraph 7,a7 or 7,b71 the parents of the frontline healthcare worker described in paragraph 7#a71 in equal shares4 7,d7 ,if there is no person meeting the requirements of subparagraph 7,a71 7,b71 or 7,c71 the grandchildren of the frontline healthcare worker described in paragraph 7#a71 in equal shares4 7,e7 ,if there is no person meeting the requirements of subparagraph 7,a71 7,b71 7,c71 or 7,d71 the grandparents of the frontline healthcare worker described in paragraph 7#a71 in equal shares4 7,f7 ,if there is no person meeting the requirements of subparagraph 7,a71 7,b71 7,c71 7,d71 or 7,e71 the person designated on a life insurance policy of the frontline healthcare worker described in paragraph 7#a74 7c7 ,necessary documentation ,a claim filed under this section shall include-- 7#a7 evidence of employment as a frontline healthcare worker during the time that ,,covid-#ai was diagnosed or during the #de-;day period before such diagnosis2 7#b7 a medical statement of a ,,covid-#ai diagnosis1 whether confirmed by a test or a presumptive diagnosis by a qualified medical professional1 and confirmation that death or disability was from ,,covid-#ai or connected to complications due to ,,sars-,co,v-#b2 and 7#c7 in the case of a claim for a death benefit1 the death certificate of a frontline worker1 or in the case of a claim for a disability benefit1 evidence of total and permanent disability as a result of ,,covid-#ai or connected to complications due to ,,sars-,co,v-#b4 7d7 ,review claim ,not later than #ij days after a claim is submitted under subsection 7a71 such claim shall be reviewed to determine whether the claimant is eligible to receive compensation under this section4 7e7 ,amounts ,a claimant who is eligible to receive compensation under this section shall receive a one-time lump sum payment of #cfe1fgj not later than #ij days after the claimant is determined to be eligible to receive compensation under this section4 ,any compensation received under this section shall not preclude the claimant from receiving any collateral source compensation to which the claimant is entitled4 7f7 ,appeals 7#a7 ,appeals officer ,the ,assistant ,attorney ,general of the ,civil ,division of the ,department of ,justice shall appoint appeals officers to review appeals made pursuant to paragraph 7#b74 7#b7 ,appealing denial ,in the case that a claim under this section is denied1 a claimant may file an appeal of such denial with an appeals officer not later than #fj days after such denial4 7#c7 ,review ,in reviewing an appeal1 an appeals officer may-- 7,a7 grant compensation under this section2 7,b7 deny compensation under this section2 or 7,c7 send the claim to the ,assistant ,attorney ,general of the ,civil ,division of the ,department of ,justice for further review1 including for the purpose of collecting additional evidence4 7g7 ,no ,federal tax or ,,cola ,any payment made to a claimant under this section shall not be subject to any ,federal tax or cost of living adjustment4 7h7 ,final agency action ,a decision by an appeals officer shall be considered a final agency action for purposes of judicial review4 7i7 ,payment of medical education loans not discharged upon death 7#a7 ,in general ,a claimant who is eligible to receive compensation under subsection 7b77#b7 shall also be eligible to have the ,assistant ,attorney ,general of the ,civil ,division of the ,department of ,justice pay off any private medical education loan of the frontline healthcare worker that was not discharged upon the death of the worker4 7#b7 ,filing of claim ,a claimant may apply for the payment of a medical education loan under this subsection by including such request in a claim filed under subsection 7a71 along with such documentation as the ,attorney ,general may require4 7#c7 ,payment separate from compensation amount ,the amount of any payment made under paragraph 7#a7 shall be in addition to the amount described under subsection 7e74 7#d7 ,definition of private medical education loan ,in this subsection1 the term private medical education loan means a private education loan 7as defined under section #adj7;a7 of the ,truth in ,lending ,act7 issued with respect to a medical education4 7j7 ,rulemaking ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,attorney ,general shall issue rules to implement this section1 including rules on the process for determining disability status4 7k7 ,effective period ,this section shall take effect on the date that is #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act and shall cease to be effective #e years after such date4 7l7 ,definition ,in this section3 7#a7 ,assistant ,attorney ,general of the ,civil ,division of the ,department of ,justice ,the term ,assistant ,attorney ,general of the ,civil ,division of the ,department of ,justice means the ,attorney ,general1 acting through the ,assistant ,attorney ,general of the ,civil ,division of the ,department of ,justice4 7#b7 ,collateral source compensation ,the term collateral source means all collateral sources1 including life insurance1 pension funds1 or any other death or disability benefit program or payment for which the individual is eligible4 7#c7 ,disability ,the term disability means1 with respect to an individual1 that such individual has a condition1 the direct and proximate consequences of which permanently prevent the individual from performing any gainful work4 7#d7 ,frontline healthcare worker ,the term frontline healthcare worker means-- 7,a7 all employees of healthcare facilities1 nursing homes1 and long-term care facilities and emergency care providers1 including paramedics and medical personnel who transport patients to the hospital2 and 7,b7 the contractors who are physically present at such facilities4