SPONSOR: Rowland
This bill requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide monies from federal CARES Act funds to a school district that provides in-person instruction during the 2020-2021 school year to be used to provide a bonus in compensation to teachers and school employees of the school district. The bonus shall be paid on a monthly basis for each month where in-person instruction is provided (Section 168.900, RSMo). Any teacher or school employee who has contracted or is quarantined due to COVID-19 is presumed to have an occupational disease arising out of and in the course of their employment for purposes of workers' compensation laws. A teacher or school employee is not entitled to this presumption if a subsequent medical determination establishes by clear and convincing evidence that the teacher or school employee did not actually have COVID-19, or contracted or was quarantined for COVID-19 resulting from exposure that was not related to the teacher or school employee's employment. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations may use any federal CARES Act funds to pay for claims arising out of this provision (Section 287.064). An employer shall not reduce the wages of any teacher or school employee who has taken leave because such teacher or school employee has contracted or is quarantined for COVID-19. An employer shall not require a teacher or school employee to use paid time off if a teacher or school employee has taken leave due to contracting or being quarantined for COVID-19 (Section 290.160). This act contains an emergency clause.
This bill is similar to sections of SB 12 (2020 Special Session).
Statutes affected: