Capps/Waxman #1 -
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute. The amendment parallels the structure of H.R. 1413 as introduced. The amendment provides adequate wage replacement for injured health care workers and first responders and their dependents. The underlying bill caps payments for lost wages at a lifetime maximum of $50,000 and provides no lost wages for persons suffering permanent disability or death. The amendment provides for up to $75,000 per year. The amendment assures that funding will be available to pay compensation awards without depending on the annual appropriations process. The amendment retains the voluntary nature of the smallpox vaccination program while removing the barrier of inadequate compensation. Unlike the underlying bill, the amendment does not impose any artificial limitations on access to compensation for health care workers and first responders. The amendment includes a table of injuries that are known to be associated with the smallpox vaccine, allowing for quick compensation. The amendment directs the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to recommend whether cardiac events should be added to that table within 3 months of enactment of the legislation. REVISED

* Summaries derived from information submitted by the amendment sponsors.