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Ohio bill would allow insurers to offer paid family leave products; not a mandate
Summary
House sponsors introduced HB 593 to permit insurers to write paid family leave insurance policies for employers who choose to offer benefits; the bill would create a statutory framework based on national model legislation and would not require employers to provide paid leave.
Representative Dieter told the House Insurance Committee that House Bill 593 would update Ohio law to allow insurers to offer paid family leave insurance policies to employers who voluntarily decide to provide the benefit. The bill, Dieter said, is modeled on the National Conference of Insurance Legislators paid family medical leave framework and would set standards for eligibility, benefit calculations, waiting periods and coverage limits.
Dieter emphasized that the bill does not mandate employers to offer paid family leave; instead it creates a clear statutory path for insurers to write and sell these policies in Ohio, which currently lacks explicit statutory recognition of the product. Committee members asked whether paid family leave exists already in practice; sponsors and staff said companies may offer paid family leave through other channels but that the statute does not currently permit the insurance product to be sold in Ohio, so HB 593 would enable insurers to participate and potentially make the benefit more accessible.
Representative Sweeney voiced support for family-care policies and asked for clarification on how HB 593 would differ from existing employer-provided benefits; Dieter said the change is primarily statutory, allowing insurers to underwrite and distribute the product. The committee concluded the first hearing on HB 593.
