Health Care — Three states pass paid sick leave measures

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View Online Health Care Health Care The Big Story  Paid sick leave victorious on state ballots  While voters across the country cast their ballots for measures dealing with abortion access and marijuana legalization, another issue ran somewhat under the radar: Paid sick leave.  © AP There are no federal laws that require private employers to provide paid sick leave, but 15 states and Washington, D.C., currently have laws mandating private employers provide paid sick leave to eligible employees.    According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 percent of private industry workers in the U.S. did not have access to paid sick leave.    Voters in Alaska, Missouri and Nebraska voted in favor of passing ballot measures entitling workers to paid sick leave.    Alaska  Workers are now entitled to at least 40 hours of paid sick leave a year. Larger employers in the state can allow 56 or more hours of paid sick leave a year with those days carrying over to the next year, according to the ballot measure language.    The measure received 56.5 percent of the vote in Alaska.  Missouri  Employers are now required to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours an employee works.  There is an exception for very small businesses. Under the measure, businesses with fewer than 15 employees need to provide workers with at least five paid sick days.    The measure received 57.6 percent of the vote in Missouri.  Nebraska  Eligible employees have the right to earn paid sick time for "personal or family health needs."  Workers in businesses with fewer than 20 employees can accrue and use up to 40 hours of paid sick time a year while those working for employers with more than 20 employees can accrue and use up to 56 hours of paid sick time annually.    The measure received 74 percent of the vote in Nebraska.  Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: CDC calls for expanded bird flu testing among farm workers Federal officials said Thursday that farmworkers exposed to bird flu should be tested for the virus even if they are not showing any symptoms, especially if they were not wearing the proper personal protective equipment. The recommendation follows the release of a new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing some dairy workers have been unknowingly …  Full Story Democrats' election abortion strategy falls flat Democrats' strategy of tying former President Trump and Republicans to abortion bans across the country appeared to fall flat with voters Tuesday.  Democrats saw major victories on the issue in the 2022 midterms and Virginia's off-year elections in 2023, but the party largely underperformed up and down the ballot on the issue with key groups on election night. A CNN exit poll showed voters ranking abortion as the third …  Full Story Medical worker sentenced in Ginsberg health data leak A former health care worker who illegally leaked the health records of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison.   Full Story In Other News  Branch out with a different read: Trump's expected military reset: Culture war counteroffensive President-elect Trump is expected to transform the U.S. military from the Pentagon, with promises to slash spending, thin the top ranks and roll back efforts to make the military more inclusive to transgender and women soldiers.  Full Story Around the Nation  Local and state headlines on health care: Amendment 3's rejection raises questions about future of Florida's medical marijuana industry (CBS News)  Health care prices for Colorado public-sector retirees see huge increase for 2025 (The Colorado Sun)  Texas health care system buys 21 acres in Celina (The Dallas Morning News)  What We're Reading  Health news we've flagged from other outlets: Study maps how nonprofit religious groups set up facilities near abortion clinics (NBC News)  U.S. diabetes burden grew since 2000 (Axios)  Many voters backed abortion rights and Donald Trump, a challenge for Democrats (KFF Health News)  What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: GOP inches closer to retaining House majority Control of the House has yet to be determined, as a number of critical races remain too close to call, leaving lawmakers — and voters — waiting … Read more Jon Stewart: Trump's 2024 win 'feels different'  "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart said President-elect Trump's win this week feels different than when he won in 2016, during his latest podcast … Read more   You're all caught up. See you next week!  Check out The Hill's Health Care page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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