Paid family leave legislation proposed in Illinois and North Dakota

According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, only four U.S. states (California, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island), as well the District of Columbia, currently have paid family leave programs, with two other states, Massachusetts and the State of Washington, set to implement paid family leave programs in the near future.

Now, legislation has been proposed in two states, Illinois and North Dakota, to create paid family leave programs in those states. There are some differences between the Illinois proposal and the North Dakota proposal, but both proposals would require private-sector employers with at least 50 employees to provide paid leave for employees who take leave because of the birth of the employee's child and to allow the employee to care for a family member who is seriously ill.

In Illinois, Illinois State Representative Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) has proposed a paid family leave act here in Illinois (Illinois HB0009). Here is the synopsis of the proposed legislation (full text here):

Creates the Paid Family Leave Act. Requires private employers with 50 or more employees to provide 6 weeks of paid leave for an employee who takes leave: (1) because of the birth of a child of the employee and in order to care for the child; (2) to care for a newly adopted child under 18 years of age or a newly placed foster child under 18 years of age or a newly adopted or newly placed foster child older than 18 years of age if the child is incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability; or (3) to care for a family member with a serious health condition. Provides that paid family leave shall be provided irrespective of the employer's leave policies; and shall be provided to an employee who has been employed by the employer for at least one year. Permits employees to voluntarily waive paid family leave. Provides that the Department of Labor may adopt any rules necessary to implement the Act.

According to the Illinois General Assembly website, the legislation was assigned to the Illinois House of Representatives Labor and Commerce Committee earlier today.

In North Dakota, a paid family leave bill, North Dakota HB1509, was introduced yesterday by North Dakota State Representative Karla Rose Hanson (DNPL-Fargo). Here's how The Bismarck Tribune reported on North Dakota's proposed paid family leave legislation being introduced:

Fargo Democratic-NPL Rep. Karla Rose Hanson introduced House Bill 1509 Monday to the House Industry, Business and Labor Committee. The bill would require businesses with 50 or more employees to participate in the program, with 2 cents contributed each by employers and employees on every $10 in wages.

[...]

"Countless North Dakota families face the problem of choosing between their job and temporarily taking care of a loved one," Hanson said, emphasizing the bill "is not a government handout," but a state-facilitated program.

Hanson said the program would offer up to 12 weeks of coverage per year and 66 percent of wages, capped at $4,000 a month. The program would extend to employees who work at least 25 hours a week, among other time requirements.

The legislation is currently pending before the North Dakota House Industry, Business, and Labor Committee.

North Dakota State Senator Erin Oban (DNPL-Bismarck) spoke from her own personal experience in support of the proposed paid family leave legislation in North Dakota:

Bismarck Democratic-NPL Sen. Erin Oban offered her support for the bill as a co-sponsor and from her caretaking experiences involving her father's terminal cancer diagnosis and her son's birth, when she quit her job.

"Kids take care of dying parents. Spouses or siblings take care of family seriously hurt or injured or sick, and people have babies," Oban said. "And in those most stressful or wonderful or painful times, the most developed nation in the entire world continues to make people choose between being with their loved ones or earning their paycheck."

Oban's words are a very powerful argument in favor of paid family leave legislation. The United States is the only first-world country in the world to not have a nationwide program guaranteeing paid leave so that workers can take time off work to care for an ill relative or a newborn child. Guaranteeing paid family leave is a humane and common-sense idea to ensure that people can be there when their loved ones need them most.

I encourage lawmakers in my home state of Illinois, the State of North Dakota, and other states to support legislation to guarantee paid family leave for their state's workers.