The Vermont House Committee on General and Housing has passed a significant piece of legislation, H.66, which aims to establish a comprehensive paid family and medical leave program in the United States. The bill has now been forwarded to the House Ways & Means Committee for further consideration.
H.66 proposes to offer employees up to 12 weeks of leave for various reasons including personal health issues, maternity or parental needs, family care, safety concerns, and bereavement—though bereavement leave would be limited to two weeks.
Eligibility for this program requires that employees must have worked with the same employer for at least six months and averaged 20 hours per week during that period. The bill promises a wage replacement of 100% up to the state’s average weekly wage of $1,135 per week. It also seeks to amend the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in Vermont so that it applies to any employer with one or more employees in the state.
To implement this program, an expansion of the Treasurer’s Office is necessary, along with an estimated $100 million investment. Funding for the initiative would come from a 0.55% payroll tax, which would be shared between employers and employees and adjusted annually by the Treasurer’s Office.
