Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee advanced H.196, the paid family leave insurance proposal.
This is great news! The paid family leave bill has had months of testimony from citizens, business owners, advocates, and experts, and is finally expecting a vote on the House floor next week. This proposal would allow workers to take needed time to care for a loved one, without the stress of financial or job insecurity.
There have been some significant changes from the original bill, including:
- Reducing the leave time benefit from 12 weeks to 6 weeks
- Reducing the wage reimbursement from 100% to 80% (up to a cap)
- Removal of the option for self-employed workers to opt in
- Removal of the benefit for one’s own disability
While VPIRG is disappointed to see the program weakened, we believe this is still a strong step in the right direction.
Make sure your voice is heard and let your representatives know why you support paid family leave.