FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – A bipartisan bill aimed at expanding access to paid family leave won final passage Thursday as the Kentucky Legislature heated up ahead of its two-week recess.
The Senate voted 36-0 to send the family leave bill to Gov. Andy Beshear.
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Supporters said House Bill 179 would amend state law to allow voluntary paid family medical leave to be offered as an insurance product. Such policies are available to Kentucky employers, who may choose whether to offer them as a benefit to their employees.
Kentucky State Capitol (January 14, 2020, Frankfort, Kentucky). A bipartisan bill aimed at expanding access to paid family leave received final passage Thursday, March 28, 2024, as the Kentucky General Assembly gets into full swing on the final day before legislative debate begins. Two weeks off. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
“This is a market-driven policy proposal that does not include obligations to employers, workers, or families,” Republican Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe said while introducing the bill to her colleagues.
Supporters say the goal is to extend benefits to more Bluegrass State workers who can’t afford to stay home and take time off work when needed, without forcing employers to do anything. ing. They rate this as a good first step, but acknowledge it is not enough to help everyone.
If your employer chooses to offer this benefit, workers who need to leave work to care for a sick relative, bond with a newborn child, care for a relative in the military, or face the front lines will provide temporary wage replacement to Work-related injuries as a first responder. Your employer’s benefit plan may list more reasons. Proponents see it as a way to help employers attract and retain workers.
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The bill’s main sponsors are Republican state Reps. Samara Heblin and Stephanie Dietz.
The vote comes as the Republican-dominated Legislature prepares for intense work on a mountain of bills as lawmakers approach the start of their long vacation, and the Democratic governor has no plans to consider the bill. You will have time to decide whether to sign or veto the bill. Lawmakers will return to the Capitol in mid-April for the final two days of this year’s 60-day session.
