Bill > H1935

This bill aims to provide hazard pay and protection for essential workers during a declared public health state of emergency. The key provisions are: 1. It defines "essential services," "essential business," and "essential worker" based on the Governor's emergency orders. 2. It requires essential businesses with 11 or more employees to pay their essential workers 1.5 times their regular rate of pay as "hazard pay" for any hours worked during the public health emergency. 3. It allows essential workers to refuse to perform work if they reasonably believe it would seriously threaten their health or safety, if they have a health condition that puts them at elevated risk, if they live with someone at elevated risk, or if they need to care for children due to school/daycare closures, without facing discrimination or penalty. 4. It requires essential employers to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) related to the public health emergency at no cost to the essential workers. 5. The law will be enforced by the Attorney General's office, but does not impair employees' rights to receive wages or enforce rights under other statutes.

Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H1935