Senate committee unanimously approves Kosierowski’s worker protection bill

Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski    June 23, 2020 | 4:16 PM

HARRISBURG, June 23 – A bill which would provide worker protections to essential workers in Pennsylvania’s food industries was unanimously reported out of the state Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, state Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski, D-Lackawanna, announced today.

“This bill goes beyond protecting food industry workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, it will also protect all of us who are buying food for our families,” Kosierowski said. “I am pleased to see the unanimous, bipartisan support on this crucial bill and hope the full state Senate acts quickly to  provide these much-needed protections.”

Kosierowski authored the bill that would create a Food Establishment Pandemic Disease Remediation Cost Reimbursement Grant Program within the state Department of Agriculture to help food packers and processors pay for personal protective equipment for workers, physical barriers to help protect workers, the cost of hand washing stations, enhanced sanitation efforts and medical monitoring such as temperature checks of employees.

House Bill 2435 now heads to the state Senate for further consideration.

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