AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

House Democrats passed another version of their coronavirus relief bill late on Monday that made significant changes to their paid leave program.

The new version tightens eligibility for sick pay beyond 12 weeks to only parents taking care of children.

Businesses had warned they may not have enough money on hand to pay workers two weeks of sick leave for coronavirus.

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House Democrats quietly passed another version of their coronavirus emergency relief bill on Monday evening that scaled back who would be eligible for additional paid time off for sick leave.

The Wall Street Journal reported that congressional Democrats modified their paid leave program they passed last week. It would still extend two weeks of sick pay to people who are affected by coronavirus, which includes those in quarantine and those caring for children whose schools closed their doors.

But any extension beyond that — 10 weeks — would only be granted to parents taking care of children with shuttered schools and day care centers. Health care workers, emergency responders, workers in quarantine or looking after family members with coronavirus would no longer qualify for the extra time off, The Journal reported.

Businesses had warned of the financial burdens of offering sick leave to their workers, given they may not have enough money on hand to pay workers as they confront significant disruptions. The legislation would have compensated them through tax credits.

The original bill had a provision providing paid medical and sick leave for up to three months at two-thirds of a worker's wages. The Monday vote occurred as most House Democrats were away from Capitol Hill.

The Democratic-controlled House voted on Friday to approve the bill, which boosts unemployment insurance, adds funding for food stamps, and makes coronavirus testing free. The Republican-led Senate still needs to pass its own version, which could include further adjustments.

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There were already big exemptions in the emergency coronavirus bill that would have left out a significant segment of the American workforce. Companies employing more than 500 workers didn't have to comply with the rules compelling two weeks of sick pay to workers, even as they compose just over half of the labor force.

Most large companies provide some form of sick leave, though it averages out to around eight days. Small businesses with fewer than 50 workers can also lobby for exemptions through the Labor Department.

Experts like Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said the original bill hadn't gone far enough to guarantee sick pay for American workers.

"It will expand coverage to millions of workers, but at the same time millions of them will fall through the cracks with the bill," Gould previously told Business Insider. "The more people we send home, the more we flatten the curve," referring to efforts aimed at preventing the virus' spread to a point that's manageable for the nation's healthcare system.

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