Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that extends workplace protections related to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Highlights:

• Prohibits employers from terminating, depriving, or threatening employees as a result of the employee’s compliance with an order of isolation, quarantine, or other measures relating to COVID-19 (Sec 1).

• Specifies that this protection does not require the employer to compensate the individual for time lost because of isolation or quarantine due to COVID-19 (Sec 1).

• Authorizes employees to pursue a civil action for wages and benefits lost and reinstatement of employment as a result of wrongful termination related to COVID-19 (Sec 1). 

• Specifies that damages rewarded may not exceed actual wages and benefits lost (Sec 1).

• Authorizes loans to be made to municipalities for the following purposes and in the following amounts (Sec 2):

• $150,000 for purchasing a single piece of equipment or for 50 percent of the total cost of the equipment, whichever is less;

• $250,000 for any single facility or for 50 percent of the total cost to purchase, construct, renovate, or rehabilitate a facility, whichever is less.

• Defines “municipality” as any borough, town, first-class township, second-class township, or third-class city or county that does not have a population in excess of 15,000 (Sec 2).

• Specifies that loans will be subject to an interest rate set at the 10-year United States Treasury rate rounded to the closest quarter-point and not to exceed 2 percent per annum (Sec 2).

• Specifies that loan applications will be subject to the interest rate in effect at the time a complete application is submitted to the department and it will remain the fixed rate for the full term of the loan (Sec 2).

• Specifies that money will be lent over a term of years but never of the amount of 15 years (Sec 2).

• Specifies that no department, commission, agency, office, or authority of the governor will enter into a contract requiring money from the following special fund accounts (Sec 4):

• Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Fund; 

• Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority Fund; 

• Compulsive And Problem Gambling Treatment Fund;

• Conservation District Fund;

• Energy Development Fund;

• Environmental Education Fund;

• Environmental Stewardship Fund;

• Historical Preservation Fund;

• Industrial Development Fund;

• Justice Reinvestment Fund;

• Keystone Recreation, Park And Conservation Fund;

• Minority Business Development Fund;

• Pa Ehealth Partnership Fund;

• Pa Infrastructure Bank;

• Recycling Fund;

• Solid Waste-resource Recovery Development Fund; or

• Highway Beautification Fund.

Full Bill Text