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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2013 - 2014 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	February 5, 2013 02:58 PM
From:	Senator Andrew E. Dinniman
To:	All Senate members
Subject:	Pennsylvania Family and Medical Leave Act

Today is the 20th anniversary of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which has made a significant and positive difference in the lives of many Americans including mothers and fathers caring for newborns and adult children caring for ailing parents. It is thus appropriate for me to announce my planned introduction of the Pennsylvania Family and Medical Leave Act in order to extend rights to siblings, grandparents and grandchildren in certain, specific cases. An identical bill (HB 298) has been introduced in the House by state Rep. Dan Truitt (R-156th). A mutual constituent of ours told us how in June 2008, her sister was diagnosed with late-stage gynecologic cancer. Because her sister was unmarried and without children and because their father was deceased and their mother was elderly with her own health conditions, our constituent was the sole person who could care for her sister. Our constituent was denied federal Family Medical Leave because the person she was caring for was a sibling and not covered under federal Family Medical Leave. Her only option was to leave her job of 16 years, which she did. My bill would provide up to six weeks of protected, unpaid leave to an employee to care for a sibling, grandparent or grandchild with a serious health condition if such sibling, grandparent or grandchild has no living spouse, child over 17 years of age or parent under 65 years of age. The six weeks of unpaid leave is in contrast to the 12 weeks provided under the federal law, and my bill ensures that no one double-dips and takes leave time from the federal and state extension program. I hope you join me in sponsoring this legislation and joining me in support of Pennsylvania families during their most trying times

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