Amended paid sick leave bill advances to State Senate floor

Legislation that would provide 40 hours of annual paid sick leave to home healthcare workers who serve patients enrolled in Medicaid will advance to the Senate floor.

The bill, which would have initially covered all essential workers, was amended and advanced yesterday by the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.

The Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee also advanced the bill, which was introduced by Northern Virginia Democratic Del. Elizabeth Guzman

“I am ecstatic that the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee was willing to advance any form of a paid sick days bill,” said Guzman, a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for lieutenant governor. “This legislation will apply to 25,000 home healthcare workers who care for patients enrolled in Medicaid. They are the heroes of the pandemic and should not have to choose between their own health and a paycheck. My mother was a home healthcare worker and never had a single paid day off. She is so happy, and so am I, but I will keep fighting until no worker is left behind.

“I want to thank Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn and Senator George Barker for their commitment to helping negotiate a bill that we could pass and the House Appropriations Committee for prioritizing funds in the House budget. I also want to thank all the advocates for working families who formed the Virginians for Paid Sick Days coalition to work with our office on this bill.