May 1, 2025
Ms. Barragán (for herself, Ms. Matsui, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Norton, Ms. Adams, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. García of Illinois, and Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
To require the reinstatement of recently terminated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Protect our Public Health Workforce Act
.
Sec. 2. Reinstatement and payment of affected employees
(a) In general
Any Federal employee who was involuntarily removed or otherwise dismissed without cause from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (in this Act referred to as the CDC
) during the period beginning on January 20, 2025, and ending on the date of the enactment of this Act shall, at the election of the individual, be reinstated to the same position or an equivalent position with backpay in accordance with section 5596 of title 5, United States Code.
Sec. 3. Report
(a) In general
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and every three months thereafter, the Director of the CDC shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on employees of CDC who were removed or otherwise dismissed from the agency.
(b) Contents
Any report submitted under subsection (a) shall include the following:
(1)
The total number of CDC employees removed or otherwise dismissed from the agency during the period covered by the report.
(2)
The title and job description for each such removal or dismissal.
(3)
The reason for each such removal or dismissal.
(c) Sunset
The requirement to submit reports under this subsection shall terminate on January 20, 2029.
(d) Definition
In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means—
(1)
the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Energy and Commerce and of the House of Representatives; and
(2)
the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and the Committee on Health, Education, and Labor and Pensions of the Senate.