Public employees; safety and health program. (SB607)

Introduced By

Sen. Roz Dance (D-Petersburg)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Safety and health program for public employees. Directs the Commissioner of Labor and Industry or the Safety and Health Codes Board to adopt regulations for enforcing the occupational and health program applicable to employees of the Commonwealth, its agencies, institutions, political subdivisions, or any public body. The measure provides that these regulations and procedures for enforcing the program shall include provisions for the issuance of proposed penalties, the payment of such penalties or a negotiated sum in lieu of such penalties, and the deposit of such payments into the general fund of the state treasury. Read the Bill »

Status

03/10/2016: Passed the General Assembly

History

DateAction
01/13/2016Presented and ordered printed 16103404D
01/13/2016Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
01/21/2016Impact statement from DPB (SB607)
02/15/2016Reported from Commerce and Labor (11-Y 4-N) (see vote tally)
02/16/2016Read second time and engrossed
02/16/2016Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/16/2016Passed Senate (28-Y 11-N) (see vote tally)
02/18/2016Placed on Calendar
02/18/2016Read first time
02/18/2016Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
03/01/2016Reported from Commerce and Labor (15-Y 5-N) (see vote tally)
03/03/2016Read second time
03/04/2016Passed by for the day
03/07/2016Read third time
03/07/2016Passed House (79-Y 17-N)
03/07/2016VOTE: PASSAGE (79-Y 17-N) (see vote tally)
03/08/2016Enrolled
03/08/2016Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB607ER)
03/08/2016Impact statement from DPB (SB607ER)
03/08/2016Signed by Speaker
03/10/2016Signed by President
03/11/2016G Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, Monday, April 11, 2016
03/11/2016Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on 3/11/16
03/11/2016G Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, Sunday, April 10, 2016

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 3 clips in all, totaling 5 minutes.

Transcript

This is a transcript of the video clips in which this bill is discussed.

DO ANY SENATORS DESIRE TO CHANGE THEIR VOTE? THE CLERK WILL CLOSE THE ROLL. AYES 30, NOS 9. AYES 30, NOS 9, THE BILL PASSES. SENATE BILL 607, A BILL RELATING TO THE OCCUPY PATIENT SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAM APPLICABLE TO EMPLOYEES OF AGENCIES OF THE COMMONWEALTH, POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS, AND OTHER PUBLIC BODIES. REPORTED FROM THE COMPLOTE COMMERCE AND LABOR. THE SENATOR FROM PETERSBURG, SENATOR DANCE. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I MOVE THAT THE BILL BE ENGROSSED AND ADVANCED TO ITS THIRD READING.

Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): THANK YOU, SENATOR. THE QUESTION IS SHALL THE BILL BE ENGROSSED AND ADVANCED TO ITS THIRD READING ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION WILL SAY AYE THOSE OPPOSED, NO. THE AYES HAVE IT. THE BILL IS ENGROSSED AND ADVANCED TO ITS THIRD READING THE SENATOR FROM PETERSBURG.

[Unknown]: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I MOVE THAT WE DISPENSE WITH THE THIRD CONSTITUTIONAL READING.

Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): THANK YOU, SENATOR. THE QUESTION IS SHALL THE RULES BE SUSPENDED AND THE THIRD CASUAL READING BE ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION WILL RECORD THEIR VOTES AYE, THOSE OPPOSED NO. ARE THE SENATORS READY TO VOTE? HAVE ALL THE SENATORS VOTED? DO ANY SENATORS DESIRE TO CHANGE THEIR VOTE? THE CLERK WILL CLOSE THE ROLL.

[Unknown]: AYES 38, NOS 0. AYES 38, NOS 0. THE MOTION IS AGREED TO. THE SENATOR FROM PETERSBURG. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I MOVE THE BILL PASS AND SPEAKING TO THE BILL. THE SENATOR HAS THE FLOOR. SENATE BILL 607 DIRECTS THE COMMISSION OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY OF THE SAFETY AND HEALTH BOARD TO ADOPT REGULATIONS FOR ENFORCING THE OCCUPATIONAL AND HEALTH PROGRAM APPLICABLE TO EMPLOYEES OF THE COMMONWEALTH, ITS AGENCIES, INSTITUTIONS, PUBLIC SUBDIVISIONS OR ANY PUBLIC BODY. THE MEASURES PROVIDES THAT THESE REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES PHONE FORCING THE PROGRAM SHOULD INCLUDE PROVISIONS FOR THE ISSUANCE OF PROPOSED PENALTIES, THE PAYMENT OF SUCH PENALTIES, OR NEGOTIATED SUM IN LIEU OF SUCH PENALTIES. UNDER THE DEPOSIT OF SUCH PAYMENTS INTO THE GENERAL FUND OF THE STATE TREASURY. IN THE PAST, VIRGINIA ADOPTED A STATE PLAN TO ENFORCE THE SAFETY AND HEALTH LAWS IN THE COMMONWEALTH AT LEAST IN PART TO EXTEND THE PROTECTIONS OF THOSE LAWS TO EMPLOYEES OF THE COMMONWEALTH. FEDERAL OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION HAS NO JURISDICTION OVER STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITIES. BY REGULATION ADOPTED PREVIOUSLY, THE PROTECTIONS OF THE VIRGINIA OCCUPY PATIENT SAFETY AND HEALTH LAW -- OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH LAW WERE EXTENDED TO GOVERNMENT HOWEVER, NO IMPOSITION OF EMPLOYEES. PENALTIES WERE PROPOSITIVED AT THAT TIME. OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, 29 FATALITIES HAVE OCCURRED IN STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES. THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF A PENALTY CAN REDUCE THIS NUMBER BY ENCOURAGING COMPLIANCE. THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY BUSINESSES ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH OSHA AND, IN FACT, THEY PROUDLY DISPLAY THEIR WEEKS AND MONTHS OF HAVING NO INCIDENTS WITH THEIR EMPLOYEES. THE HOPE IS THAT THIS LEGISLATION WOULD ALLOW THE SAME FOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES. AND MR. PRESIDENT, 20 OF THE 28 STATES AND TERRITORIES HAVE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAMS THAT COVER STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITIES. THEY IMPOSE PENALTIES. I MOVE THAT THIS BILL PASS.

Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): THANK YOU, SENATOR. THE QUESTION IS SHALL SENATE BILL 607 PASS. RECORD THEIR VOTES AYE, THOSE ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION WILL OPPOSED NO. ARE THE SENATORS READY TO VOTE? HAVE ALL THE SENATORS VOTED? DO ANY SENATORS DESIRE TO CHANGE THEIR VOTE? THE CLERK WILL CLOSE THE ROLL.

[Unknown]: AYES 28, NOS 11.
SHALL THE BILL PASS? CLERK WILL CLOSE THE ROLL.

Del. Terry Kilgore (R-Gate City): AYE, 79, NO, 17. THE BILL IS PASSED.

[Unknown]: SENATE BILL 734 A BILL TO AMEND AND REENACT SEVERAL SECTION OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA