Vote to pass a bill that amends worker paid leave laws.
Highlights:
Requires the State Insurance Fund to provide insurance for benefit payments for an employee’s disability compensation resulting from injury, sickness, pregnancy, or “family care leave” (Sec. 1).
Defines “family care leave” as any leave taken by an employee for the following reasons (Sec. 5):
To provide physical or psychological care for a “family member” with a “serious health condition;”
To “bond” with his or her child during the first 12 months after the child’s birth or after the placement of the child with the employee for adoption or foster care; or
To fulfill a pressing need arising from the employee’s spouse, domestic partner, child, or parent’s impending call to or active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States.
Defines “family member” as a spouse, domestic partner, parent, grandchild, grandparent, sibling, parent of a spouse or domestic partner, or biological, adoptive, foster, or step-child (Sec. 5).
Defines “serious health condition” as an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that requires inpatient care at a medical facility or continuing treatment from a health care provider (Sec. 5).
Requires an employee to contribute up to $0.45 per week to the State Insurance Fund to provide for the cost of family care benefits for an employee (Secs. 5 & 11).
Specifies that an employee on family care leave will receive a weekly benefit of two-thirds of his or her average weekly wage, but no more than the following statewide average weekly wages (Sec. 8):
35 percent beginning January 1, 2015;
40 percent beginning April 1, 2016;
45 percent beginning April 1, 2017; and
50 percent beginning April 1, 2018.
Specifies that an employee is eligible for benefits for no more than the following periods (Sec. 9):
26 weeks of leave per year resulting from injury, sickness, or pregnancy; or