Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., on Sept. 25 reintroduced the Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act – a bill designed to protect Federal employees during public health emergencies.
The bill, which Rep. Connolly has pushed since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, previously passed the House in September 2022.
The legislation is named after Chai Suthammanont, a kitchen staff worker at a childcare facility on Marine Corps Base Quantico, who died on May 26, 2020, due to COVID-related complications.
“Confusion and uncertainty surrounding agency guidance during the pandemic emerged as two of the largest contributing factors to Chai’s death. These factors, combined with a general lack of communication with Federal workforce staff, led to tragedy,” Rep. Connolly said in a press release.
“Our Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act will ensure Federal employees are informed and better protected during any future public health emergency,” he added. “I want to thank Senator Warner for his partnership, and I want to thank Chai’s widow, Christina, for her continued efforts to transform her family’s loss into a charge to help others.”
Specifically, the bill would require each Federal agency to develop a safety plan for Federal employees and contractors who are physically present at worksites during a public health emergency.
The plan would include protocols for testing, identification and notification of individuals who may have been exposed, cleaning, occupancy limits, use of personal protective equipment, and more.
“The pandemic highlighted that our Federal agencies were widely unprepared to protect these essential workers,” said Sen. Warner. “It’s crucial that we learn from our mistakes. We owe it to our Federal workforce to ensure a safe workplace, and when faced with another public health emergency, we must be prepared.”
