Efforts to pass paid family leave are gaining momentum across the country. Just last month, Massachusetts became the sixth state, along with the District of Columbia, to pass legislation mandating it in some form. As attention to the importance of paid family leave, intensifies, however, it is vital that the needs of all families be considered—including parents with disabilities.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate held a hearing to discuss potential federal family policies, featuring two competing proposals. Democrats advocated for the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act (S 337/ HR 947), first proposed by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) in 2013, which would fund up to 12 weeks of paid leave at two-thirds salary for new parents, employees with serious medical conditions, and people who need to care for sick family members. Funding for the proposed bill would come from a small payroll tax, averaging about $1.50 per week for a typical worker.
Conversely, Republicans testified in favor of a proposal that would allow for paid family leave for new parents only. Under the proposed plan, which has the support of the conservative Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), new parents would reportedly be eligible for 12 weeks of paid leave, but they would need to tap into their individual Social Security retirement benefits to do so. Paid leave for workers with serious medical conditions and people caring for sick relatives would not be available. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) are expected to soon unveil legislation based on this plan, and have been promoting it on social media and traditional outlets in the meantime.
[For more on this story by Robyn Powell, go to https://rewire.news/article/20...arents-disabilities/]
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