Family Leave Activity Across the Country, M-W*

10 weeks every 2 years of family and medical leave in companies with 15+ employees

2001 legislature  established committee to study costs and benefits of family and medical leave benefits, reauthorized to continue work in 2002

2000, 2001, and 2002 bills introduced to provide up to 12 weeks UI for care of new child

1999 law requires employers to extend leave offered to birth parents to adoptive parents

2001 and 2002 bills to provide paid family and medical leave through new TDI system, funded by employer contributions

 • 2000 bill to extend UI to workers on parental leave passed the legislature and was vetoed by the governor

 • 2001 and 2002 bills introduced to extend UI to care for new child

maternity leave in all companies with 6+ employees

 • 2001 ballot initiative filed for family leave benefits

 • 2001 and 2002 proposals for establishment of new parental leave fund

 • 2001 and 2002 bills introduced to provide tax credits to small and mid-size companies offering paid leave

2000 and 2001 bills introduced to extend UI to care of new child

 • workers may use sick leave to care for sick children

 • parental leave following birth or adoption in companies with 21+ employees

 • at-home infant care program created in 1998 subsidizes low-income parents to care for child under 1 year old at home

 • 2000 and 2001 proposal for state match if employer voluntarily provides wage replacement during parental leaves

2000  bill introduced  to extend UI to care of new child

2002 bill introduced to provide leave for parent-teacher conferences

2000  bill introduced  to extend UI to care of new child

 • 2001 bill introduced to give tax credits to companies offering paid family leave

 • limited at-home infant care program since 1998

all employers must provide leave for maternity disability

pilot at-home infant care program for low income parents established in 2001

2001 and 2002 bills introduced to extend UI to care for new child

public employees may use sick leave to attend to family illness

2001 bill introduced to establish new family and disability trust fund financed by employee payroll taxes

 • public employees may use sick leave to attend to family illness

 • maternity disability leave in all companies with 6+ employees

2000 bill authorized study of broad range of family leave funding options

 • universal disability leave with wage replacement, including pregnancy/childbirth

 • 2000 and 2002 bills introduced to extend TDI to full family leave

2000 bills introduced to extend UI to care for new child

2001 bill introduced to extend UI to care for new child

2002 legislature authorized study of costs and benefits of paid family leave

 • universal temporary disability leave with wage replacement,

 • 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 bills introduced to cover family leave in TDI program

2002 bill introduced to extend UI to FMLA leave

family leave benefits study included in 2000 state budget

2001 law allows state employees to use sick leave for family leave, and establishes sick leave bank to cover family and medical leave

2001 bill introduced to extend UI to care for new child

 • Extends full FMLA protections to workers in companies with 25+ employees who have worked 6 months, and includes in-laws

 • 12 weeks of maternity disability leave in addition to FMLA

2001 legislation established task force to study paid leave for new parents

2000 and 2001 bills introduced to extend UI to care for new child

universal disability leave with wage replacement, including pregnancy/childbirth

employers must continue half salary at least 8 weeks for women on maternity disability leave

universal disability leave with wage replacement, including pregnancy/childbirth

4 months for maternity disability

2001 bill introduced to extend UI to care for new child

public employees may use sick leave to attend to family illness

2000 Senate passed but House defeated bill to extend UI to care for new child

 • parental leave following birth or adoption in companies with 10+ employees

 • leave to care for an ill family member or the worker's medical condition in companies of 15+ employees

 • includes in-laws in FMLA protections

2000 and 2001 proposals for pilot program of paid parental leave, financed through state general fund

Study of paid leave for state workers on FMLA leave undertaken in 2000

2001 bill introduced to provide 5 weeks of paid family and medical leave through new Family and Medical Leave Insurance system, funded through penny an hour payroll tax paid by both workers and employers

1999 and 2000 legislation introduced to provide up to 5 weeks of UI for care of new child

2002 law passed allowing all workers to use sick leave, vacation, or personal holiday to care for a sick child, spouse, parent, parent-in-law, or grandparent   (expansion of a 1988 law allowing use of sick leave to care for a sick child)

* Much of the information in this table was drawn from the National Partnership for Women and Families "State Family Leave Laws That Are More Expansive than the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act" and "State Family Leave Benefit Initiatives in the 2001-2002 State Legislatures"; news sources were also used.