INTRODUCED
BY E. Stafman, W. Sales, A. Buckley, E. Buttrey, M. Thane, W. McKamey
By Request of the ****
A resolution of the house of representatives of the state of montana expressing appreciation and gratitude to essential workers for their efforts during the covid-19 pandemic.
WHEREAS, in 2020, Montana experienced in COVID-19 the most severe pandemic in a century; and
WHEREAS, Montana's essential workers have been called upon to work under conditions far more challenging and stressful than normal during this pandemic, including the fear and uncertainty of a heightened risk of infection; worry that they may carry COVID-19 into their homes and infect loved ones; a severely limited supply of personal protective equipment; quickly evolving public health recommendations and protocols from local leadership, medical and public health experts, and political leaders; unusually high and increasing demands to work longer hours as their colleagues become sick or are quarantined; exposure to the physical and emotional strain and balancing their commitment to help others with the understandable commitment to protect themselves and their loved ones; and
WHEREAS, our essential workers have stepped up in countless ways; and
WHEREAS, essential workers have responded exceedingly well to the pandemic by showing up, putting in long hours, rapidly adapting the ways in which they work, revising schedules, embracing changes to accommodate virtual activities, and even repurposing facilities or creating improvised personal protective equipment; and
WHEREAS, essential workers have continued to demonstrate compassion and maintain a brave front despite the fears they may harbor; and
WHEREAS, for the purposes of this resolution, "essential workers" encompasses workers employed by essential businesses and providing essential services at:
(1) health care and public health operations, human services operations, essential governmental operations, and essential infrastructure operations;
(2) stores that sell groceries and medicine, grocery stores, pharmacies, farm and produce stands, supermarkets, convenience stores, and other establishments engaged in the retail sale of groceries, canned food, dry goods, frozen foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, pet supplies, fresh meats, fish, and poultry, alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, and any other household consumer products, stores that sell groceries, medicine, including medication not requiring a medical prescription, and also that sell other nongrocery products, and products necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences and essential businesses and operations;
(3) operations in the food and beverage industry, manufacturing, production, processing, and cultivation, including farming, livestock, fishing, baking, and other production agriculture, including cultivation, marketing, production, and wholesale or retail distribution of animals and goods for consumption, licensed medical cannabis dispensaries and licensed cannabis cultivation centers, and businesses that provide food, shelter, and other necessities of life for animals, including veterinary and animal health services, animal shelters, rescues, shelters, kennels, and adoption facilities, and businesses that provide equipment, transportation, seed, feed, fertilizer, or other products or services critical to food and livestock production;
(4) organizations that provide charitable and social services, businesses and religious and secular nonprofit organizations, including food banks, when providing food, shelter, and social services, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals, individuals who need assistance as a result of this emergency, and people with disabilities;
(5) newspapers, television, radio, and other media services;
(6) gas stations and businesses needed for transportation, including gas stations and auto supply, auto repair, and related facilities and bicycle shops and related facilities;
(7) financial and real estate services and institutions, including banks, consumer lenders, including but not limited to pawnbrokers, accountants, consumer installment lenders and sales finance lenders, credit unions, appraisers, realtors or others providing real estate services, title companies, financial markets, trading and futures exchanges, affiliates of financial institutions, entities that issue bonds, related financial institutions, and institutions selling financial products;
(8) hardware and supply stores, including businesses that sell electrical, plumbing, and heating material;
(9) in the critical trades industry, including building and construction tradesmen and tradeswomen, and other trades including but not limited to plumbers, electricians, exterminators, cleaning and janitorial staff for commercial and governmental properties, security staff, operating engineers, HVAC, painting, moving and relocation services, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences, essential activities, and essential businesses and operations;
(10) mail, post, shipping, logistics, delivery, and pickup services, including post offices and other businesses that provide shipping and delivery services, and businesses that ship or deliver groceries, food, alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, goods, or services to end users or through commercial channels;
(11) educational institutions, including public and private pre-K-12 schools, colleges, and universities, for the purposes of facilitating remote learning, performing critical research, or performing other essential functions;
(12) laundry services, including laundromats, dry cleaners, industrial laundry services, and laundry service providers;
(13) restaurants for consumption off-premises, including restaurants and other facilities that prepare and serve food, but only for consumption off-premises, through such means as in-house delivery, third-party delivery, drive-through, curbside pickup, and carry-out;
(14) businesses providing supplies to work from home, including businesses that sell, manufacture, or supply products needed for people to work from home;
(15) businesses that provide supplies for essential businesses and operations, including businesses that sell, manufacture, or supply other essential businesses and operations with the support or materials necessary to operate, including computers, audio and video electronics, and household appliances; IT and telecommunication equipment; hardware, paint, and flat glass; electrical, plumbing, and heating materials; sanitary equipment; personal hygiene products; food, food additives, ingredients, and components; medical and orthopedic equipment; optics and photography equipment; diagnostics, food and beverages, chemicals, and soaps and detergent; and firearm and ammunition suppliers and retailers for purposes of safety and security;
(16) transportation businesses, including airlines, taxis, transportation network providers such as Uber and Lyft, vehicle rental services, paratransit, and other private, public, and commercial transportation and logistics providers necessary for essential activities and other purposes;
(17) home-based care and services, including home-based care for adults, seniors, children, and people with developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, substance use disorders, or mental illness, including caregivers such as nannies who may travel to the child's home to provide care, and other in-home services including meal delivery;
(18) residential facilities and shelters, including residential facilities and shelters for adults, seniors, children, and people with developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, substance use disorders, or mental illness;
(19) professional services, including legal services, accounting services, insurance services, information technology services, and real estate services including appraisal and title services;
(20) manufacture, distribution, and supply chain for critical products and industries, including manufacturing companies, distributors, and supply chain companies producing and supplying essential products and services in and for industries such as pharmaceutical, technology, biotechnology, health care, chemicals and sanitization, waste pickup and disposal, agriculture, food and beverage, transportation, energy, steel and steel products, petroleum and fuel, forest products, mining, construction, national defense, and communications, as well as products used by other essential businesses and operations;
(21) critical labor union functions, including labor union essential activities, such as the administration of health and welfare funds and personnel checking on the well-being and safety of members providing services in essential businesses and operations;
(22) hotels and motels, to the extent used for lodging and delivery or carry-out food services; and
(23) funeral services, including funeral, mortuary, cremation, burial, cemetery, and related services.
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the house of representatives OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
That, on behalf of the grateful citizens of the State of Montana, the Montana House of Representatives hereby honors and sends gratitude to the essential workers of Montana for their selfless and courageous actions during this public health crisis.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives send a copy of this resolution to the following organizations to share with their membership: the Montana Emergency Medical Services Association, the Montana Hospital Association, the Montana Medical Association, the Montana Nurses Association, the Montana Primary Care Association, and the Montana State Fire Chiefs' Association.