Labor panel advances bill to expand paid family and medical leave to certain school employees

The Labor and Public Employees Committee advanced SB 14‑27 on a voice and roll‑call motion after more than an hour of debate about whether Connecticut should expand its paid family and medical leave (PFML) insurance to additional school employees.

The bill would add certain public and nonpublic elementary and secondary school employees who do not need professional certification for their positions to the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance program and would extend job protections under the Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Act (CFMLA) to those employees.

Why it matters: Supporters said the change fills an inadvertent omission in the original statute and brings parity to school employees who perform essential classroom or student‑support functions but are not licensed teachers. Opponents said the program’s design and incentives remain flawed and that adding more workers will increase utilization and draw down the program’s surplus.

What supporters said

Senator Kushner (chairing the hearing) and supporters described the measure as a correction to existing law to ensure that non‑certified school staff who are eligible for paid benefit coverage also receive the job protections of the Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Act. Senator Kushner said the intent was to align coverage so that “these are protections that every other employee that’s covered by the program has.”

Representative Gauthier urged members to consider how PFML has helped families, saying she had “only heard very positive feedback,” including from patients and constituents who used leave for childbirth and health recovery.

What opponents said

Representative Canino announced she would vote against the bill, citing employer feedback from her district and concerns about program incentives. Canino described a case where two individuals took leave and an employer was later fined by the Department of Labor after reassigning a returning worker. She also pointed to program generosity — as described at the hearing, benefits can replace up to about 95% of wages (capped at $981 per week) — and said that raised questions about whether the structure encourages longer absences than medically necessary.

Senator Sampson and other Republicans argued more broadly against the state‑mandated payroll tax model behind PFML. Sampson called the program an impediment to businesses, argued that private insurance markets should be an option, and said he would continue to work to repeal or make the program optional.

Technical clarifications

Senator Kushner and other supporters repeatedly clarified that job protection under the CFMLA and the paid‑benefit period are distinct. Kushner said the job‑protection provision limits leave to 12 weeks (with some pregnancy‑related exceptions to 14 weeks) and that coverage design does not create a 12‑month job‑protected leave. Committee members and staff also noted the paid‑leave authority reports an approval rate that has increased over time (testimony cited an approval rate that rose toward 80% and a higher reconsideration success rate) and that actuarial staff monitor fund solvency.

Outlook and next steps

Committee members debated the bill at length and a roll‑call motion was made to send SB 14‑27 to the floor for further consideration. The legislative clerk recorded votes and reported that the vote was held open. The committee left the record open for additional deliberation and did not adopt technical amendments during the meeting.

Ending note

The discussion illustrated the split views that remain in Connecticut over the structure and reach of paid family and medical leave: supporters framed the bill as correcting an omission and extending parity to school staff who lack professional certification, while opponents renewed long‑standing objections to the program’s design and fiscal impacts.