Under the bill, 12 weeks of paid leave would be available over a 12-month period for individuals to look after a new child, an ill family member or care for a wounded veteran.
Lynn Woosley (D-Calif.), Pete Stark (D-Calif.), George Miller (D-Calif.) and Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) introduced the measure, which will be financed by a new trust fund underwritten by employers and employees, who will each contribute 0.2% of the employee’s pay.
The funding works on a tier system; the low-wage earner (making less than $30,000 per year) would be reimbursed completely or nearly so. A middle-income worker (making $30,000-$60,000) would receive 55% wage replacement, and higher earners (making over $60,000) would garner 40-45% wage replacement, with the benefit capped at approximately $800 per week.
States will administer the program through the Department of Labor in a manner similar to how the unemployment insurance program is run. Those states or businesses with materially equivalent or improved benefits are permitted to opt-out of the program.
“Even the most generous leave policies don't help the millions of families who cannot afford to take leave from their jobs without pay. That’s why we must support working families by providing them the flexibility to balance work and family obligations,” says Woosley (D-Calif.).
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