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HR 6955 116th Congress House

Essential Worker Pandemic Compensation Act of 2020

Official title: To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a program of death and hospitalization benefits for essential workers who die as a result of COVID-19 or re… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a program of death and hospitalization benefits for essential workers who die as a result of COVID-19 or related complications, and for other purposes.

Introduced: May 19, 2020 See on congress.gov
Health Administrative remediesAppropriationsCardiovascular and respiratory healthEmergency medical services and trauma care
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Employee benefits and pensionsFederal officialsHealth care costs and insuranceHealth care coverage and accessHigher educationHospital careIncome tax exclusionInfectious and parasitic diseasesStudent aid and college costsWorker safety and health
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This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 19, 2020
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
May 19, 2020
Introduced in House
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 Latest action May 19, 2020

Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Essential Worker Pandemic Compensation Act of 2020

This bill compensates specified essential workers who die or are hospitalized as a result of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) or related complications. Specifically, the bill provides death benefits to survivors of essential workers equal to the amount available under the public safety officer benefits program. Essential workers include those identified in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency guidance or by a Special Master appointed by the Department of Health and Human Services. Such death benefits include additional payments to a surviving spouse or child enrolled in qualified postsecondary education.

Further, essential workers who are hospitalized as a result of COVID-19 receive one half of the base death benefit amount.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 20
All 20 Democratic 18
D
Wilson, Frederica S.
Florida · May 27, 2020
 D
Carson, André
Indiana · May 19, 2020
 D
Chu, Judy
California · May 19, 2020
 D
Cohen, Steve
Tennessee · May 19, 2020
 D
Cuellar, Henry
Texas · May 19, 2020
ENGEL, ELIOT
· May 19, 2020
 D
García, Jesús G. "Chuy"
Illinois · May 19, 2020
 D
Green, Al
Texas · May 19, 2020
 D
Hayes, Jahana
Connecticut · May 19, 2020
 D
Johnson, Henry C. "Hank"
Georgia · May 19, 2020
 D
Lynch, Stephen F.
Massachusetts · May 19, 2020
 D
Neguse, Joe
Colorado · May 19, 2020
 D
Norton, Eleanor Holmes
District of Columbia · May 19, 2020
 D
Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria
New York · May 19, 2020
 D
Pressley, Ayanna
Massachusetts · May 19, 2020
 D
Scanlon, Mary Gay
Pennsylvania · May 19, 2020
 D
Soto, Darren
Florida · May 19, 2020
 D
Thompson, Mike
California · May 19, 2020
 D
Tlaib, Rashida
Michigan · May 19, 2020
Vela, Filemon
· May 19, 2020
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 6955: Essential Worker Pandemic Compensation Act of 2020. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6955/
MLA
"H.R. 6955: Essential Worker Pandemic Compensation Act of 2020." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6955/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 6955, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6955/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 6955: Essential Worker Pandemic Compensation Act of 2020](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6955/)
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