Stevens, Pappas Introduce the Essential Worker Protection Act

WASHINGTON — Today, Reps. Haley Stevens (MI-11) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) introduced the Essential Worker Protection Act, a bill to create an interagency task force focused on worker protection as millions of essential workers continue to perform their duties despite the risk of exposure to COVID-19.

“Millions of incredible Americans are working to provide essential services to communities throughout this country during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Congresswoman Stevens. “Our workers heroically report to their jobs at grocery stores, restaurants, manufacturing facilities, pharmacies, utilities, postal delivery and other critical work sites to ensure the rest of the country can maintain the core functions of basic life. It is essential for these enterprises as well as other workplaces that will be coming back once their state shut down period concludes, that we provide full transparency of scientific data and research on COVID-19 to understand and inform the best health guidelines for workplaces and workers. This legislation establishes a coordinated front from our federal agencies so that all impacted workplaces can operate with the full understanding of how to protect employees and others from spreading COVID-19, and requires the federal government to share information in real time to provide these assurances to our labor force.”

“Every day millions of Americans continue to report to their jobs at hospitals, pharmacies, and grocery stores, putting themselves and their loved ones at risk so we can remain safe and healthy,” said Congressman Pappas . “This legislation takes a critical step to support these essential workers by establishing an inter-agency task force. As we continue to navigate this unprecedented situation together, we must do everything in our power to protect the workers who are showing up and serving us during this pandemic.”

Spearheaded by the United States Secretary of Labor, this new interagency task force would publish and disseminate guidelines for essential workforces. The task force would also include the Departments of Commerce, Transportation, Defense, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Small Business Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, and any other Federal agency the Secretary of Labor deems relevant.

The Taskforce would disseminate guidance to non-healthcare employers and employees that have been deemed essential by publishing guidance on the public website of the Department of Labor. The guidance would be updated as necessary to keep covered employees apprised of the latest developments with respect to the prevention of the spread of COVID–19 until there is an approved treatment or vaccine that is widely available in the United States.

The full text of the Essential Worker Protection Act is available here.

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