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Senate committee reports substitute for paid family medical leave after debate on employer costs and employee deductions
Summary
The Senate Resources Committee voted 10-5 to report a substitute for Senate Bill 1122, a paid family medical leave proposal. Lawmakers debated who would pay, an estimated first-year cost, and exemptions for small employers and state employees.
The Senate Resources Committee on an unrecorded date reported a substitute for Senate Bill 1122, a paid family medical leave insurance proposal, by a 10-5 vote.
Supporters said the measure would create a paid leave program to help workers care for family members without losing jobs. Senator Boisco moved adoption of the committee substitute and Senator Dietz moved that the substitute be reported; the motion carried 10-5.
The debate centered on who would carry the cost. Senator McDougall said the plan “will require all employees, except for state employees, because state employees are carved out, but all employees, regardless of whether their employer has a plan or not, to pay this, I call a tax, others call a fee into the system,” and added an estimate: “it's about 1,500,000,000 is the estimate in the 1st year.”
Senator Boisco responded with a cost example for individuals: for “an individual with a salary of $50,000 would pay $4.75 a week, which is about $230 a year annually,” and said employers that already provide leave would be exempt. Senator Favola argued the benefit would help workers — especially women — reenter the workforce and cited the broader economic benefits. Senator Stewart opposed additional payroll deductions, saying inflation has increased household strain and “I just don't think people can stand any more deductions out of their paycheck right now.”
Clarifying details recorded in committee: the substitute would carve out state employees from required participation; employers with fewer than 10 employees would not be required to pay an additional employer share above the employee contribution; companies that already provide private leave may be exempt from employer payments. Committee staff gave the reported first-year fiscal estimate cited on the record as about $1.5 billion.
The committee’s recorded action on the substitute was: motion to adopt substitute (mover: Senator Boisco; second: Senator Dietz), reported with a tally of Ayes 10, Noes 5. The measure was reported out of committee with the substitute. The committee recorded the vote electronically.
The bill will proceed through the Senate’s legislative process; no final floor action was taken in the committee meeting.
