WHB/4/2
Sponsored by Li Li Vest, Lana Ching, Sam Babu of Brentwood High School
This legislation was filed in the Labor and Workforce Development category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Section 1: Terms in this act shall be defined as follows: |
| 4 | Paid sick leave: paid leave of absence granted due to illness. |
| 5 | Employer: any person, business, firm, etc., that employs workers |
| 6 | Employee: a person employed for wage or salary, especially at nonexecutive level. |
| 7 | Construction worker: An individual employed as part of a construction crew, often performing |
| 8 | physical labor on construction sites. |
| 9 | National Labor Relations Act (NLRA): United States policy granting workers the fundamental right |
| 10 | to seek better working conditions and representation without fear of retaliation. |
| 11 | TDLWD: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Section 2: According to the NLRA, workers have the fundamental right to pursue improved working |
| 14 | conditions and fight for their best interests. However, Tennessee's current system does not comply |
| 15 | with this ideal, as construction workers lack access to adequate paid sick leave hours in proportion |
| 16 | to working hours. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Section 3: This act, overseen by the Tennessee Department of Labor, requires one hour of paid |
| 19 | sick leave per 40 hours of work. |
| 20 | Employers must submit a construction worker’s hours to a state-regulated database to ensure |
| 21 | convenient and accrued access, regardless of current employer. |
| 22 | This system will be overseen and managed by the TDLWD. Guidelines and forms provided by the |
| 23 | TDLWD will facilitate the submission process. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | Section 4: An employee is authorized to use paid sick leave for the following reasons: |
| 26 | An absence resulting from an employee’s mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; to |
| 27 | accommodate the employee's need for medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or |
| 28 | physical illness, injury, or health condition; or an employee's need for preventive medical care. |
| 29 | To allow the employee to provide care for a family member with a mental or physical illness, |
| 30 | injury, or health condition; care of a family member who needs medical diagnosis, care, or |
| 31 | treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; or care for a family member |
| 32 | who needs preventive medical care. |
| 33 | When the employee's place of business has been closed by order of a public official for any health- |
| 34 | related reason, or when an employee's child's school or place of care has been closed for such a |
| 35 | reason. |
| 36 | |
| 37 | Section 5: This bill will require approximately $500,000 and will be funded through the Tennessee |
| 38 | |
| 39 | These funds will be allocated towards staffing, technology, and training expenses. |
| 40 | |
| 41 | Section 6: All laws or parts of laws in conflict with this are hereby repealed. |
| 42 | |
| 43 | Section 7: This act shall take effect at the start of the next fiscal tax year starting January 1, |
| 44 | 2025, the public welfare requiring it. |
| 45 |