Paid sick leave for home health care workers clears Senate committee

RICHMOND, Va. (AP)- A bill that would have mandated paid sick leave for a range of essential workers cleared a key Senate committee Monday, but only after it was sharply whittled down to cover only home health care workers.

The original House bill would have required paid sick leave for grocery store workers, prison personnel, child care providers, farmworkers and poultry workers.

A last-minute amendment by Senate Democrats who did not want to impose a mandate on private businesses limited the bill to cover only home healthcare workers serving Medicaid patients.

Supporters said they would have preferred a more expansive bill, but called the compromise a move in the right direction.

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