U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) recently cosponsored the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act.
The bill ensures employees nationwide would be guaranteed up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave.
Leave could be taken for illness, pregnancy and childbirth recovery, the birth or adoption of a child, a child’s, parent’s, spouse’s or domestic partner’s serious health condition, or for military caregiving and leave purposes.
The leave would be financed through worker contributions to a trust fund. The fund would operate similarly to Social Security.
Employees would earn 66 percent of their monthly wages, up to a capped amount. Low- and middle-wage workers would have a higher share of wages replaced.
“Whether addressing one’s own health needs, taking care of a sick loved one or nurturing a newborn child, working families deserve peace of mind when it comes to paid leave,” Casey said. “I’m proud to support legislation that will ensure that families across the country have financial certainty when they need it most and I call on my colleagues to join in this effort so we can make sure that all workers get a fair shot.”
The act would require all employees are covered including the self-employed, part-time employees and low-wage workers.