Testimony for February 5, 2013

HB 6 / HB 406 - Relating to Health.  Requires employers to provide a minimum amount of paid sick and safe leave to employees to be used to care for themselves or a family member who is ill, needs medical care, or is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

HB 173 - Relating to Debt Collection Practices.  Prohibits contacting a person at the workplace in debt collection practices.

SB 550 - Relating to Civil Relief for Military Component Personnel.  Prevents any court or mortgagee from commencing a proceeding to enforce a lien or foreclosure action against real property owned by a member of a reserve component of any branch of the United States Armed Forces or member of the state military forces until that member of a reserve component or member has returned to the State for a period of one year. 

SB 1263 - Relating to Labor.  Requires employers to provide meal breaks for employees who work more than a total of five hours a day. Imposes penalties on employers who fail to provide meal breaks. Clarifies that the employer's liability is based on an employee's regular wage at the time the infraction occurred.

SB 1370 - Relating to Mediation Affecting Judicial Foreclosure.  Expands the application of mandatory mortgage foreclosure dispute resolution by requiring mortgagees, at the mortgagor's election, to participate in mediation to avoid foreclosure or mitigate damages from foreclosure prior to filing a judicial foreclosure action for property that has been the mortgagor's primary residence for a specified period. Applies the dispute resolution requirement to judicial foreclosure actions filed prior to the effective date of this bill and pending an initial court hearing.