Senator Jill Schupp Files Legislation to Help Prevent and Slow the Spread of COVID-19 in Missouri Schools
As Legislature gathers to discuss public safety, Sen. Schupp urges action on biggest threat facing Missourians’ health and safety: COVID-19
Jefferson City – State Sen. Jill Schupp, D – Creve Coeur, filed legislation to provide equipment, resources and expert guidance to local school districts to help prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19.
“Across Missouri, schools will be opening their doors in less than a month. We must take action now to protect students, teachers and families from contracting and spreading COVID-19 from the classroom to the community,” Sen. Schupp said. “The state should have stepped up to help districts months ago instead of leaving each district to fend for themselves. Going forward, Missouri needs a credible team in place to help schools, protect students and provide families some peace of mind. I have filed legislation to address these issues and more, and I urge the governor to expand his extra session call to include safeguarding schools from the spread of COVID-19.”
Senate Bill 12 would direct the State of Missouri to:
- Use Federal Cares Act funds to purchase Personal Protective Equipment, including masks, for school personnel;
- Use Federal Cares Act funds to provide COVID-19 testing for school personnel and students;
- Ensure that teachers who need to quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure or illness will not deplete their personal or sick leave;
- Extend workers’ compensation protections to teachers and school personnel in the same manner that these protections were expanded to law enforcement and first responders by creating a clear presumption that teachers and school personnel who are exposed to COVID-19 were exposed while on duty;
- Ensure that schools will not be financially penalized under the Missouri School Funding Formula for lower daily attendance due to COVID-19 related absences;
- Continue to provide free and reduced lunch and other meal assistance programs as allowed under US Department of Agriculture guidelines during the time a school is closed or partially closed due to COVID-19;
- Require school districts to report non-personally identifiable COVID-19 infection data for students and school personnel, including testing, positivity rates and resulting absences;
- Authorize the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to use Federal Cares Act funds to provide the same hazard pay rates to school personal as is currently offered to some state employees and law enforcement; and
- Establish the Missouri Schools COVID-19 Safety Task Force to advise schools on best practices and safest procedures for protecting students, teachers and families from the spread of COVID-19.
Under the Missouri Constitution, the governor may expand the call of an extra session to include additional legislation at any time.
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Follow the Office of State Senator Jill Schupp on twitter: @SenJillSchupp