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Bill would require small businesses to provide PPE, COVID leave

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New Hampshire lawmakers approved legislation requiring the state to provide free personal protective equipment to small employers, eliminate cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing and treatment, and extend paid time off for leaves due to coronavirus.

H.B. 1166, introduced by Democratic Rep. Jerry Knirk, passed Wednesday in the state’s House of Representatives in a 178-154 vote. The bill would extend unemployment compensation to employers temporarily shut down due to coronavirus, those who are quarantined by a medical professional or under government direction, and those who leave employment due to a reasonable risk of exposure or infection or to care for a family member. The legislation would also extend the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act, requiring employers with at least 15 or more workers to offer FMLA leave for COVID-19-related reasons, unless the employer can demonstrate economic hardship in offering leave.

The bill also would require employers to provide paid time off for COVID-19 testing, offer personal protective equipment in all workplaces with 10 or more employees or customers on a regular basis, and mandate that employers comply with state and federal guidance related to COVID-19.

The legislation further instructs insurers to waive cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing and treatment, including any out-of-network charges, for policyholders who are residents of the state.

The bill would also direct the state’s labor commissioner to adopt worker safety rules to protect workers from COVID-19 by Aug. 1, 2020, and mandate that the state stock and offer personal protective equipment to all employers who request such equipment, providing it for free to employers with 15 or fewer workers.

If signed into law, the legislation would take effect immediately.

More insurance and workers compensation news on the coronavirus crisis here