Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi’s Health Care Worker Recognition and Retention Act, which requires bonuses for healthcare workers for their work during the pandemic, passes Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment

“We need to go beyond just saying thank you to our frontline workers. Every time they have gone to work during this pandemic health care workers have known they are entering a dangerous workplace and have put themselves and their families at risk to care for others during this crisis. They have weathered staffing shortages and worked long hours with few breaks in order to fight this disease and save lives,” said Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi. “This bill will provide substantial, tangible proof to health care workers that we recognize their sacrifice and value essential work to care for our families and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and into the future.”

AB 650 would cover workers at hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, medical groups or other private sector health care providers who have been disproportionately impacted and have put themselves at risk to care for Californians every day during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Numerous projections have showed that California is facing a future shortage of health care workers needed to care for our population. The COVID-19 crisis could make that shortage dramatically worse. Since the start of the pandemic 14% of health care workers have considered leaving the profession.