Apr. 14, 2020
HARRISBURG – With the COVID-19 health crisis constantly evolving and state unemployment claims approaching 1.5 million, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted to help all Pennsylvanians through the health care crisis, Speaker of the House Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) said today.
“We have to fight the COVID-19 crisis, but we also have to prevent the collapse of Pennsylvania’s economy. Today the House of Representatives passed legislation to allow citizens to return to safe working environments within the parameters of CDC and Homeland Security guidance so they can put food on the table.”
According to Turzai, constituents have been contacting legislators expressing the real-life impacts of not working, including losing their jobs, losing their health care coverage and being unable to provide food for their families.
Senate Bill 613, as amended in the House, would simply require the governor to develop and implement a COVID-19 mitigation plan for certain employers while keeping workers safe. The governor’s plan must be developed using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) guidelines.
Senate Bill 841, which originally would have reauthorized the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, was amended to, among other things, allow “e-notary” provisions to enable various legal transactions to occur.
Turzai’s
House Bill 2400 passed its constitutional second consideration as well. The bill would allow all public and private construction activities to be undertaken that adhere to mitigation measures set forth by CDC to protect workers and mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
“People can work safely during the COVID-19 crisis and with the granting of waivers, the governor believes so as well,” Turzai said. “We can fight the COVID-19 crisis and act to prevent the collapse of Pennsylvania’s economy.”
The CDC guidance can be accessed here.
Speaker of the House Mike Turzai
28th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives