Essential health care workers premium pay; Department of Health to create program using any available funds.

HB 118 creates a $1,500 premium pay program for essential healthcare workers in Mississippi who earn $75,000 annually or less and work in public settings with high COVID-19 exposure risk (e.g., nurses, aides, janitors, security staff). Employers must apply to the State Department of Health for grants using available funds to pay eligible employees, with payments only covering work performed after July 1, 2026. The program requires annual reporting to the legislature and expires on July 1, 2028. It directly affects frontline healthcare workers in public facilities but does not cover past payments or workers earning above the income threshold.