Description:
H.R. 978 would require each federal agency within 60 days of enactment to publish a plan on its website for mitigating the spread of COVID‑19 in its workspaces. The plan would contain details of the personal protective equipment available to employees, COVID-19 testing procedures, actions being taken to protect employees, and other information as specified in the bill. H.R. 978 also would require the Inspector General (IG) for each agency to provide to the Congress, within six months of enactment, a review of the agency’s policies for reopening facilities. Although federal agencies are currently developing plans similar to those required by the bill, CBO does not anticipate that those plans will be posted online, or reviewed by the agency’s IG. CBO does not expect the cost of those additional activities to be significant in any one agency, but we estimate that across the government implementing the bill would cost roughly $3 million over the 2021-2026 period; any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting H.R. 978 could affect direct spending by some agencies that are allowed to use fees, receipts from the sale of goods, and other collections to cover operating costs. CBO estimates that any net changes in direct spending by those agencies would be negligible because most of them can adjust amounts collected to reflect changes in operating costs.
