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HR 7686 116th Congress House

COVID–19 Essential Workers Compensation Fund Act of 2020

Official title: To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a program to provide full compensation to any essential COVID-19 frontline worker who was seriously injured… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a program to provide full compensation to any essential COVID-19 frontline worker who was seriously injured or died as a result of having COVID-19, and for other purposes.

Introduced: July 20, 2020 See on congress.gov
Health AppropriationsCardiovascular and respiratory healthCemeteries and funeralsCommunity life and organization
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Congressional oversightDepartment of Health and Human ServicesDisability assistanceEconomic performance and conditionsEmergency medical services and trauma careGovernment information and archivesHealth care costs and insuranceHealth personnelInfectious and parasitic diseasesTransportation employeesUnemploymentWages and earningsWorker 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
Jul 20, 2020
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Jul 20, 2020
Introduced in House
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 Latest action July 20, 2020

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

COVID-19 Essential Workers Compensation Fund Act of 2020

This bill provides funding to compensate essential frontline workers who were seriously injured or died as a result of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) through a temporary program within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

To obtain compensation, a worker or decedent's representative must file a claim with the Special Master appointed by HHS to administer the program. The Special Master must, within 120 days, review and make a decision concerning the claim, including making relevant determinations of economic and noneconomic losses. A claimant may appeal this decision to an Eligibility Committee established for this and other purposes.

Compensation payments shall be made within 20 days of the Special Master's decision. The program terminates on January 1, 2035.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 7686: COVID–19 Essential Workers Compensation Fund Act of 2020. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-7686/
MLA
"H.R. 7686: COVID–19 Essential Workers Compensation Fund Act of 2020." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-7686/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 7686, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-7686/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 7686: COVID–19 Essential Workers Compensation Fund Act of 2020](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-7686/)
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