Health Care Worker and First Responder Fairness Act

HR 8872, the Health Care Worker and First Responder Fairness Act, exempts specific pandemic-era wages from Social Security's retirement earnings test for healthcare workers and first responders. It removes from earnings calculations wages earned between January 31, 2020, and May 11, 2023, for those who verify their employment during that period. The bill also extends this exemption to future public health emergencies declared by the HHS Secretary, allowing the Social Security Commissioner to issue waivers during staffing shortages. This change ensures these workers do not lose Social Security benefits due to income earned while serving during covered emergencies.