Rep. Kendra Horn, Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse Introduce Hazard Pay Bill For Healthcare Workers

A bill that would benefit healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was announced Sunday by Oklahoma Rep. Kendra Horn and Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse. 

The proposed bill, called The Hazard Pay for the Frontlines During Health Emergencies Act, would provide "an additional 25 percent of worker’s salary as hazard pay during public health emergencies and would ensure federal reimbursement for 100 percent of associated expenses," according to a release from Rep. Horn's office. 

“Our health care workers are putting their lives on the line every day to protect our communities and halt the pandemic,” Horn said in the release. “Today’s legislation provides them with the hazard pay they deserve. We must continue fighting to ensure our health care workers receive the equipment and resources they need to save lives and protect our health.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic is a battle, and our nurses, doctors, and first responders are on the frontlines every day, sacrificing their own health to save lives and protect our communities,” Neguse said in the release. “Our frontline workers deserve hazard pay for the duties they are performing throughout this pandemic and for putting their own lives on the line.”  

As of April 10, the Oklahoma State Department of Health reported 286 cases of COVID-19 belong to healthcare workers statewide.