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Committee approves amendment to include foster parents in state paid parental leave
Summary
Amendment to HB 9-57 would include foster parents in the state's paid parental leave policy for state employees without increasing the existing six-week maximum; members debated scope before advancing the amended bill.
The committee advanced an amendment (013041) to HB 9-57 to extend the state's existing paid parental leave policy to foster parents among state employees. Representative Slater said the bill "does not increase the amount of paid leave beyond what is in current law" and that six weeks would remain the maximum amount in a 12-month period.
Members debated whether the change amounted to a substantive expansion or simply closed an administrative gap for foster parents; Representative Leatherwood, who has been a foster parent, said he opposed the bill previously and expressed concerns about the policy covering minor children up to age 18. Representative Karringer and others described variable needs among foster children, including therapy and appointments that can require caregiver time off. Sponsor Slater said the policy is intended to encourage foster parenting among state employees and includes guardrails to prevent abuse. The committee moved the amended bill to Calendar and Rules (20 ayes, 1 no).
