Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

In the near future I will be re-introducing legislation to mandate paid parental leave in Pennsylvania. This bill would allow mothers and fathers of newborns, who work more than 20 hours per week at companies with at least 20 employees, up to 12 weeks of leave at full pay.

As you may know, the United States is the only industrialized, western nation that does not require paid parental leave for its workers. Even in this country, only a handful of states require some form of paid family leave. Pennsylvania, as a state, provides nothing along these lines to the parents of newborns.

While the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act allows for 12 weeks of unpaid leave, this is a financially unrealistic option for many workers, particularly low-income women who live in, or on the borders of poverty and can't afford to miss a single paycheck. The lack of a requirement of paid leave in current law leaves many workers without any realistic leave options whatsoever.

Furthermore, studies have shown that providing paid leave produces significant positive outcomes for parents, children and the organizations for which they work. I believe that Pennsylvania can and should become the first state in the nation to truly embrace the concept of “family values” by requiring fully paid parental leave to its workers.

If you have questions about this legislation, please contact my Legislative Director, Jon Tew at jtew@pasenate.com or 610-768-4200.