HB 782 -- Healthy Families, Healthy Communities Act

Sponsor:  Frame

This bill establishes the Healthy Families, Healthy Communities
Act which requires all employers to provide paid sick leave for
employees.  Employers of 10 or more employees must offer one hour
of sick leave for every 37 hours of work, up to 40 hours
annually.  Employers of less than 10 employees must offer one
hour of leave for every 80 hours of work, up to 26 hours
annually.  Employees will be allowed to carry over up to 40 hours
of sick leave from one year to the next.

Sick leave will accrue monthly and may be used as it accrues
starting after the ninetieth day of employment.  An employee may
use sick leave for absences due to physical or mental illnesses,
injuries, and medical conditions; obtaining medical diagnosis or
care or preventive medical care; and caring for a child or
specified relatives or extended family members.

Employers must conspicuously post a notice regarding the
company's sick leave policy on the work premises or in a handbook
and are prohibited from taking any action against an employee for
exercising any rights or filing an action regarding the sick
leave policy.  The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
must provide and maintain a program of education regarding the
rights and benefits of the act.

The provisions of the bill are not to be construed to modify,
eliminate, or otherwise abrogate any existing family leave
policies, employment benefits, or protections from contracts or
collective bargaining agreements that provide greater protections
than those in the bill.

The Attorney General may enforce the provisions of the bill by
bringing a civil action.  Damages and other relief which may be
sought in the action are specified.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated November 17, 2009 at 9:25 am