HCSHB262--COVID-19HEALTHORDERS
SPONSOR: Sander
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonEmergingIssuesbyavoteof10to4.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
262.
Thisbillprovidesthatalocalpublichealthagencythatimposesa
fineorothermonetarypenaltyagainstanyindividual,business,or
churchforfailuretocomplywithaCOVID-19healthorder,defined
asanyorder,ordinance,rule,orregulationbyastate,county,
city,orlocalgovernmententity,department,oragencyintendedto
preventorlimitthespreadofCOVID-19,shallreturnallmoneys
collectedfromtheindividual,business,orchurch,includingcourt
costsandlegalfeesofupto$250perpenaltyimposed.
Anysuchlocalpublichealthagencythatimposedsuchfineorother
monetarypenaltyafterMarch12,2020,andbeforetheeffective
dateofthebill,shallreturnthosemoneyscollectedbefore
November1,2023.Anysuchlocalpublichealthagencythatimposes
suchafineormonetarypenaltyaftertheeffectivedateofthis
billshallreturnthemoneywithin60days.Theprovisionsofthis
billshallnotapplytoanyfineormonetarypenaltythatisnot
directlyrelatedtoafailuretocomplywithaCOVID-19health
order.
ThisbillissimilartoHB1762(2022).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatlocaljurisdictionsimplemented
arbitraryandburdensomeCOVID-19requirementsandcausedsmall
businessestosufferunduehardships. Thisbillisanimportant
stepinaddressingtheharmdone.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Sander;Ron
Calzone;MelindaClark-Sann,RightSideLawLLC;AmandaWohletz;
andJenniferBarker.
OPPONENTS: Therewasnooppositionvoicedtothecommittee.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.