[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 978 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 978
To require the head of each agency to establish a safety plan relating
to COVID-19 for any worksite at which employees or contractors are
required to be physically present during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 11, 2021
Mr. Connolly (for himself, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Ms.
Speier, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Norton, and Mr. Lynch) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight
and Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the head of each agency to establish a safety plan relating
to COVID-19 for any worksite at which employees or contractors are
required to be physically present during the COVID-19 pandemic, 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 ``Chai Suthammanont Remembrance Act of
2021''.
SEC. 2. WORKSITE SAFETY FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS.
(a) Issuance of Policies and Procedures by Agencies.--Not later
than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of
each agency, in consultation with the Chief Human Capital Officer of
the agency and the Assistant Director of Administration of the agency
(or any individual holding an equivalent position) shall--
(1) establish, and publish on the website of that agency, a
safety plan containing procedures and policies for--
(A) covered worksites; and
(B) being present at a covered worksite; and
(2) communicate such plan to each employee of the agency
and contractor of the agency (and any subcontractor thereof at
any tier) in such a manner as to ensure that each such employee
and contractor acknowledges receipt and understanding of the
plan.
(b) Plan.--The safety plan required under subsection (a) shall, at
a minimum, include the following:
(1) A description of the efforts of the agency with respect
to mitigating the spread of COVID-19 at covered worksites,
including the following:
(A) A description of any personal protective
equipment that is being or will be provided by the
agency to any employee of the agency and contractor of
the agency (and any subcontractor thereof at any tier)
physically present at a covered worksite.
(B) A description of any procedures established by
the agency for--
(i) testing employees of the agency and
contractors of the agency (and any
subcontractor thereof at any tier) required to
be present at a covered worksite;
(ii) contact-tracing at covered worksites,
including procedures by which such employees
and contractors (and any subcontractor thereof
at any tier) will be notified of a potential
exposure to an individual who is diagnosed with
COVID-19; and
(iii) administering the COVID-19 vaccine to
employees of the agency.
(2) Guidance on--
(A) any cleaning protocols to be implemented at
covered worksites;
(B) occupancy limits for covered worksites; and
(C) the use of appropriate face coverings by
employees of the agency and contractors of the agency
(and any subcontractor thereof at any tier) while
physically present at a covered worksite.
(3) A description of the actions the agency is or will be
taking to protect from exposure to COVID-19 employees of the
agency who conduct activities in an official capacity while not
physically present at a covered worksite, including employees
of the agency--
(A) who are required to travel in an official
capacity; or
(B) perform audits or inspections.
(4) A description of any requirements that members of the
public are required to meet in order to enter a facility in
which covered worksites are located.
(5) A description of any alternative option to being
physically present at a covered worksite that are available for
employees who--
(A) have a high risk of contracting COVID-19 (as
determined by the Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention); or
(B) live in a household with individuals that have
a high risk of contracting COVID-19 (as determined by
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention).
(6) A description of any rule or protocol regarding whether
employees of the agency required to be physically present at
covered worksites are--
(A) required to be fully vaccinated before being
present at covered worksites; or
(B) allowed to take leave--
(i) to get each dose of the vaccine; or
(ii) upon experiencing severe side-effects
as a result of receiving any dose of such
vaccine.
(7) Protocols that ensure the continuity of operations,
including a plan to reverse any requirement for an employee or
contractor (or subcontractor thereof at any tier) to be present
at a facility in which covered worksites are located if there
is a surge in COVID-19 cases in the geographic area of such
facility.
(8) The hotline website and hotline telephone number of the
Inspector General of the agency for employees of the agency and
contractors of the agency (and any subcontractor thereof at any
tier) to report to the Inspector General any instance in which
the agency is not implementing the plan required by this
section.
(c) Delayed Applicability for Certain Worksites.--For any worksite
that the head of the agency has temporarily closed due to COVID-19, the
requirements of subsection (a) shall be carried out not later than 30
days before any employee of the agency or contractor of any agency (or
any subcontractor thereof at any tier) is required to be physically
present at such worksite.
(d) Inspectors General Reports.--Not later than 6 months after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of each agency
shall submit to the Committee on Oversight and Reform of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate a report on whether that agency--
(1) has published and communicated the public safety plan
required by subsection (a), in accordance with such subsection;
and
(2) implemented such plan.
(e) Application.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to alter
or otherwise limit the rights and obligations afforded under chapter 71
of title 5, United States Code.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given that
term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
(2) Covered period.--The term ``covered period'' means the
period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and
ending on the date on which the public health emergency
declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under
section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247) as
a result of the COVID-19, or any renewal thereof, terminates.
(3) Covered worksite.--The term ``covered worksite'' means
a worksite at which an employee of the agency or a contractor
of the agency (or subcontractor thereof at any tier) is
required to be present during the covered period.
(4) Worksite.--The term ``worksite'' means--
(A) in the case of an employee of the agency, the
location of the employee's position of record where the
employee regularly performs his or her duties, but does
not include any location where the employee teleworks
(as that term is defined in section 6501 of title 5,
United States Code); and
(B) in the case of a contractor of the agency (or
subcontractor thereof at any tier), the location in a
facility of the agency where the contractor or
subcontractor performs his or her duties under a
contract with the agency, or a subcontract thereof at
any tier, as applicable.
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