Overview
Title
To require the head of each agency to establish a plan relating to the safety of Federal employees and contractors physically present at certain worksites during a nationwide public health emergency declared for an infectious disease, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
In simple words, the bill wants all government bosses to make a safety plan to keep workers safe if there's a big, country-wide sickness like a pandemic. This means making sure there's enough protection, telling people if someone got sick, cleaning things, and letting people work from home when needed.
Summary AI
H. R. 9813, also known as the “Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act of 2024,” requires federal agencies to create safety plans for employees and contractors during a nationwide public health emergency like a pandemic. These plans must address measures for providing protective equipment, testing and exposure notifications, cleaning protocols, occupancy limits, and telework options. Additionally, agencies must make these plans public and available to new employees and contractors while ensuring ongoing operations are maintained. Reports on the implementation and effectiveness of these plans will be submitted by Inspectors General and the Government Accountability Office.
Published
Keywords AI
Sources
Bill Statistics
Size
Language
Complexity
AnalysisAI
General Summary of the Bill
The proposed legislation, known as the "Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act of 2024," requires federal agencies to develop and implement safety plans for federal employees and contractors who are physically present at worksites during nationwide public health emergencies. Specifically, the bill mandates that these plans address various safety measures, including the provision of personal protective equipment, testing protocols, cleaning procedures, occupancy limits, and telework options. Additionally, agencies must ensure that these safety plans are publicly accessible, communicated to relevant individuals, and consistent across various federal departments.
Summary of Significant Issues
A notable issue with this bill revolves around the definition of "covered condition" and "covered period." These terms depend heavily on the declaration of a nationwide public health emergency, raising concerns about how quickly and consistently these definitions might be triggered in practice. There is also concern about the varying guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which might lead to inconsistencies in risk assessments and safety measures across agencies.
Another potential issue is the bill's requirement for agencies to provide their safety plans to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which might overlap with existing centralized information management, thus posing a risk of redundancy and inefficiency. Furthermore, the bill emphasizes hotline reporting mechanisms for safety concerns, yet there remains worry about the adequacy of whistleblower protection, possibly discouraging employees from reporting genuine safety issues.
Lastly, the bill's communication requirements may not be feasible for larger contracts within the timeframe specified, potentially affecting how effectively new employees and contractors are informed of these safety measures.
Impact on the Public
Broadly, this bill aims to enhance workplace safety for federal employees and contractors during public health emergencies, potentially reducing the risk of disease spread. By mandating comprehensive safety protocols, it seeks to protect the health of workers, thereby maintaining government operations efficiently during challenging periods. If effectively implemented, the bill could foster public confidence in the resilience of federal operations during health crises.
For the general public, improved safety at federal worksites could result in less transmission of infectious diseases, contributing to overall community health. Additionally, secure government operations ensure continued services that the public relies on, such as processing social security claims, conducting public health research, and carrying out national defense activities.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
Federal Employees and Contractors: The primary stakeholders are federal employees and contractors who stand to benefit from a safer work environment. The bill promises measures that could reduce exposure to health risks and provide alternative working arrangements, improving overall job satisfaction and well-being.
Federal Agencies: Federal agencies will face the challenge of implementing tailored safety plans, requiring coordination between various departments and potentially leading to administrative burdens. These plans must be thorough yet flexible enough to accommodate frequent changes in health and safety guidelines.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The CDC's guidelines will play a significant role in shaping agency responses, placing the CDC in a position of considerable influence. However, constant adjustments to CDC criteria may demand significant resources and monitoring capabilities from all involved agencies.
Office of Management and Budget: Charged with overseeing the integration of agency safety plans, the OMB's workload would increase, possibly requiring additional resources or staffing to ensure effective oversight and coordination.
In conclusion, while the bill takes significant steps toward ensuring health and safety at federal worksites during emergencies, it also presents challenges regarding uniformity, enforcement, and integration with existing government procedures. Balancing these elements will be crucial to its success and the health security of federal operations.
Issues
The definition of 'covered condition' and 'covered period' in Section 2 relies on the declaration of a nationwide public health emergency, which might lead to ambiguity and inconsistency in situations where such declarations are delayed, affecting the timely implementation of safety measures.
Section 2 mentions involving high-risk individuals based on guidelines from the CDC, which could lead to variability and inconsistency due to the frequent updates of CDC guidelines, impacting agencies' ability to maintain uniform safety standards.
There is a potential issue with Section 2 regarding the redundancy of requiring agencies to provide a link to the plan to the Director of the OMB if similar information is already centrally managed, possibly leading to inefficiencies or duplications.
The potential lack of adequate whistleblower protection in Section 2, despite the provision for reporting through hotline numbers, may discourage employees from reporting issues, potentially compromising safety during public health emergencies.
Section 2's requirement for agencies to develop detailed plans might lead to varied levels of preparedness and consistency across different agencies, as the terms like 'continuity of operations' and 'consistent agency mission and program performance' may require more specificity to ensure uniform implementation across government entities.
The practicality of the communication timeline specified in Section 2, such as the 30-day requirement for new employees or contractors to receive the plan, might not be sufficient for larger agencies, potentially impacting the effectiveness of the policy dissemination.
Section 3 does not specify where the 'Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation' document can be obtained, introducing ambiguity about how it affects the Act and potentially leading to misunderstandings about fiscal impacts.
The budgetary analysis process described in Section 3 relies on the assumption that the Senate Budget Committee's submission is transparent and unbiased, which might raise concerns about the fairness and neutrality of the fiscal evaluation process.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The first section of the bill states that it can be referred to as the "Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act of 2024."
2. Worksite safety for Federal employees and contractors Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section describes plans and procedures for ensuring worksite safety for federal employees and contractors during nationwide public health emergencies. It defines key terms and mandates that agencies establish, publish, and communicate safety plans, which must include measures for personal protective equipment, testing, cleaning, and telework options, while also providing a means to report issues and ensuring consistent operations.
3. Determination of budgetary effects Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The budgetary effects of this Act will be determined based on a statement from the Senate Budget Committee Chairman, titled “Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation.” This statement must be submitted before the vote on the bill's passage to comply with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.