HB3131: Workplace COVID-19 Safety Committees Act

• Requires all public and private employers with 30 or more employees to establish and maintain safety committees at each primary place of employment.

• Safety committees must consist of equal numbers of employer and employee representatives, with minimum membership of 2 members for employers with 30 or fewer employees and 4 members for larger employers; employee representatives are selected by union or elected by peers.

• Committees must hold monthly meetings (quarterly meetings permitted for low-hazard workplaces), maintain meeting minutes for 3 years, and conduct workplace inspections to identify hazards and make safety recommendations.

• During the COVID-19 pandemic, committees must post CDC, OSHA, and state health guidance in workplace languages, distribute Governor executive orders, develop outbreak response plans, and ensure reporting of outbreaks to the Department of Public Health.

• The Department of Labor may levy civil penalties on employers who violate the Act requirements; employee committee members must be compensated at regular hourly wages for meeting participation and training.