Senate panel approves Holy bills addressing COVID-19 issues

OLYMPIA - Two bills sponsored by 6th District Sen. Jeff Holy addressing issues arising since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic have been approved by the Senate Labor, Commerce and Tribal Affairs Committee.

According to a Feb. 12 news release, the panel on Feb. 11 passed Substitute Senate Bill 5190, which would provide health-care workers with presumptive benefits during a public-health emergency. The bipartisan bill specifically would make health-care workers eligible for unemployment-insurance benefits for workers who are terminated or left work to quarantine during a public-health emergency...