Committee delays vote on H.461 after counsel clarifies leave coverage; seeks more testimony

The House Committee on General and Housing on March 12 took up H.461, a draft bill that would expand existing unpaid leave provisions in Vermont to add bereavement leave, qualifying exigency leave and safe leave and to broaden the definition of covered family members, but the committee postponed any vote to seek more testimony and give members time to review the changes.

Sophie Zagatni of the Office of Legislative Counsel told the committee that the bill does not change the existing requirement that employers continue health insurance coverage for employees on unpaid leave. "If there are employees taking leave under the PFLA, the Vermont statute, their employer is required to continue their health benefits during their leave, the same as under the FMLA," Zagatni said, adding that an employer may require the employee "to continue to contribute to the cost of the benefits during the leave at the existing…