Another portion of the bill extended a one-year recovery period by 60 days for eligible public employees who are recovering from an on-the-job injury and their recovery is hindered, directly or indirectly, by COVID-19.

In House debate, Hoffman said that measure was spurred by firefighters who were injured in the line of work but unable to get the necessary treatment to move along in their recovery because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also per the bill, employees of a horse track that intends to become a combined track-casino, known as a “racino,” would be entitled, under the state’s new gambling expansion law, to receive information about forming a union if the track is to receive a state license.

Hoffman said Friday because horse racing is considered to be under the agriculture industry, track employees would otherwise not have certain collective bargaining rights. The measure, he said, was intended to give track employees access to rights available under the National Labor Relations Act.

“The intention is to give them rights, the right to organize, and get the information so that they could possibly organize and let them make that determination,” he said.

Rep. Keith Wheeler, R-Oswego, questioned some of the language in the bill, and Hoffman clarified that, per his legislative intent, the majority of the employees would have to choose to unionize in order for certain provisions to kick in.