Senator Markey and Rep. Lee Reintroduce Bill to Raise Hazard Pay and Strengthen Protections for Health Care Workers

Washington (April 23, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) alongside Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) and Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17) reintroduced the Hazard Pay for Health Care Heroes Act, legislation to raise hazard pay and strengthen protections for health care workers. The legislation, which was Rep. Lee's first bill introduced in Congress in 2023, would ensure health care workers are better protected and better compensated when serving on the front lines during public health emergencies and other disasters.

"Our country's health care workers are on the frontlines of the dual public health and climate crises, serving communities being hit hard by increasingly severe and frequent weather and environmental disasters. These health care heroes are the heart of our health care system, and they need better treatment, higher pay, and stronger protections," said Senator Markey. "I am proud to reintroduce this legislation with Representatives Summer Lee and Ro Khanna so that we can better serve the workers who show up for us time and time again, as extreme weather and public health emergencies persist."

"I'm proud to reintroduce the Hazard Pay for Health Care Heroes Act because the health care workers who keep this country healthy and care for our loved ones every single day deserve more than our gratitude. These workers deserve real protection, real support, and pay that reflects the risks they take and the lives they save," said Rep. Lee. "From nurses and home care workers to environmental services staff, technicians, and every worker who keeps our health care system up and running, these are the people who show up for us again and again in moments of crisis. As extreme weather, public health emergencies, and other disasters become more frequent, we have a responsibility to show up for them too. That means valuing their labor, protecting their safety, and making clear that our health care system does not function without them."

"Healthcare workers are the backbone of our communities and continue to risk their own safety for care for others. I'm proud to lead the Hazard Pay for Health Care Heroes Act with Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Summer Lee to increase safety measures and ensure fair compensation for healthcare workers," said Rep. Ro Khanna.

The Hazard Pay for Health Care Heroes Act would help ensure that health care workers receive the compensation, workplace protections, and support they deserve when responding to dangerous conditions and emergency situations.

Specifically, the Hazard Pay for Health Care Heroes Act would:

• Pay essential workers in health care hazard pay, up to $25,000 a year, for their work during an emergency or disaster declaration;
• Equip workers in health care with necessary safety measures like personal protective equipment; and,
• Secure safer, alternative modes of transportation for health care workers, when their commutes are made hazardous by disaster.

Health care workers have long served on the front lines of crisis, from public health emergencies to climate-fueled disasters, often while facing unsafe working conditions, chronic understaffing, and inadequate compensation. This legislation recognizes the essential role they play in keeping communities safe and healthy.

The bill is co-sponsored by Representatives André Carson (IN-07), Greg Casar (TX-35), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).

The bill is endorsed by: SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, American Federation of Teachers, American College of Nurse Midwives, Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, Massachusetts Nurses Association, National Hispanic Medical Association, and Transhealth.

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