Rep. Horn Introduces Educators Hazard Pay Bill

Rep. Horn Introduces Educators Hazard Pay Bill

Bill would provide educators additional 25% hazard pay for required in-person work

WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, Congresswoman Kendra Horn (OK-5) introduced the Educators Are Heroes Act, legislation to provide educators an additional 25 percent hazard pay for time they are required to spend in-person at a public school during the pandemic. Teachers, paraprofessionals, counselors, cafeteria staff, custodians and other school staff all qualify. 

“Our educators are on the front lines of this pandemic,” said Congresswoman Horn. “Where schools have started holding in-person instruction, staff and teachers have gone to great lengths to adapt classrooms and keep students safe while providing a quality education. We know that educators providing in-person instruction are at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. We need to provide our teachers and staff with the resources they need to make it through this crisis, and I’m proud to fight for them.”

“I am grateful for Congresswoman Horn’s leadership highlighting the much-needed acknowledgment of our educators throughout the pandemic,” said Torie Shoecraft, American Federation of Teachers, Oklahoma City Local 2309 President. “Earlier in the year, our teachers transitioned to virtual learning with little advanced knowledge, our cafeteria staff adapted to feeding thousands through pick-up sites and bus routes drop-offs, and our counselors adjusted to helping our students via electronic devices. Our educators required to return to the classroom are putting their lives on the line to teach and serve our students, and the least we can do is provide them hazard pay. Our educators truly are – as Congresswoman has rightly called them – heroes.”

More than 250 school districts in Oklahoma have reported COVID-19 cases, requiring thousands of students to quarantine and shift from in-person to virtual learning. The most recent White House Coronavirus Task Force Report shows Oklahoma in the top five states for positive tests. Oklahoma has been in the “red zone” for ten consecutive weeks. The report also recommended establishing a weekly reporting among critical populations, including K-12 teachers, to monitor the degree of community spread. Oklahoma does not have a statewide school mask mandate.

Receiving care for COVID-19 can be expensive, and Oklahoma ranks 40th in country for starting teacher salaries. A recent study estimated that out-of-pocket costs for a COVID-19 patient with insurance averages $38,221. For patients without insurance or out-of-network, the average COVID-19 hospital stay costs $73,300. The average American can’t afford a surprise $500 expense without going into debt.