Month: May 2019

Connecticut Senate to Debate Joining the Rest of the Modern World and Establishing Paid Family and Medical Leave

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Connecticut Senate to Debate
Joining the Rest of the Modern World and
Establishing Paid Family and Medical Leave

CT would join 183 other countries, six states, and Washington, D.C.

HARTFORD, CT (May 22, 2019) – Today, the Connecticut State Senate will debate and vote on creating a statewide paid family and medical leave program to provide necessary benefits to Connecticut residents in order to care for a newborn or a sick family member.

State governments across the United States are beginning to enact family and medical leave programs to catch up with other modern countries which have had similar programs on the books for years. According to the United Nations’ International Labor Organization, 183 of the 185 countries and territories surveyed provide some sort of paid maternity leave.(1) Across the 41 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Union, the United States is the only nation that does not provide any paid leave for new parents.(2)

In addition, the program reflects the needs of the changing dynamic of working households in the United States. The percentage of two-parent households in which both parents work full time was 31% in 1970 and increased to 46% in 2015. Similarly, the percentage of two-parent households in which the dad is full time and the mom is not employed has shrunk from 46% in 1970 to 26% in 2015.(3)

The bill would have Connecticut join California, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington, which all have paid family and medical leave programs.(4) The details of the bill include:

Length of Paid Leave

Connecticut employees will be eligible for 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. If an employee experiences a pregnancy-related serious health condition that results in incapacity then the employee would be eligible for 14 weeks.

Similarly, state programs in Massachusetts and Washington state provide 12 weeks of paid leave. Washington also provides an additional two weeks for serious pregnancy-related health conditions. However, in Massachusetts employees are eligible for 20 weeks of paid leave for their own serious health condition.

Reasons for Paid Leave

Connecticut employees would be able to use paid family and medical leave for five reasons:

  • Care for a new child (birth, adoption, foster)
  • Care for family member with serious health condition
  • Care for own serious health condition
  • Qualifying exigency arising out of family member being on active duty
  • To serve as an organ or bone marrow donor
  • New York, Washington state, and Massachusetts allow reasons one through four. Connecticut would be the only state in the country to allow for paid leave due to donating bone marrow or an organ. (5)

Definition of Family Member

Connecticut’s definition of a family member would align with that of New Jersey and include:

  • Child
  • Parent
  • Spouse
  • Domestic partner
  • Grandparent
  • Grandchild
  • Individual related to the employee by blood or affinity whose close association the employee shows to be the equivalent of those family relationships

Benefit Amount

Beginning January 1, 2022, the weekly benefit for Connecticut employees will be 95% of 40 times the minimum wage and 60% on earnings above the minimum wage. The maximum weekly benefit can not exceed 60 times the minimum wage which is the equivalent of $780 on a $13 minimum wage, $840 on a $14 minimum wage, and $900 on a $15 minimum wage.

Connecticut’s benefits align similarly with other states. The maximum weekly benefit in California is $1,252, $1,000 in the District of Columbia, and $850 in Massachusetts. (6)

Employees Covered

In Connecticut paid leave will apply to private sector employers with one or more employees. Self-employed employees and sole-proprietors have the ability to opt-in to the program. In addition, non-union state and local government employees are covered. Unionized workers will have the ability to collectively bargain and become covered.

Similarly all private sector employers are covered in state paid leave programs in California, the District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Washington state. (7)

Program Funding

In Connecticut both personal disability leave and family care leave will be funded by the employee only. The withholding rate is 0.5 (one-half of one) percent on earnings up to the Social Security wage base.

For comparison, other states fund paid leave programs through either the employee only or a combination of the employee and the employer. In California, both personal disability and family care are funded by the employee only at one percent of a worker’s first $118,371 in wages. Additionally in Rhode Island, both personal disability and family care are funded by the employee only at 1.1 percent of a worker’s first $71,000 in wages. (8)

Sources
(1) http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—dgreports/—dcomm/—publ/documents/publication/wcms_242615.pdf
(2) http://www.oecd.org/els/soc/PF2_1_Parental_leave_systems.pdf
(3) https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/11/04/raising-kids-and-running-a-household-how-working-parents-share-the-load/
(4) http://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/resources/workplace/paid-leave/state-paid-family-leave-laws.pdf
(5) http://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/resources/workplace/paid-leave/state-paid-family-leave-laws.pdf
(6) http://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/resources/workplace/paid-leave/state-paid-family-leave-laws.pdf
(7) http://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/resources/workplace/paid-leave/state-paid-family-leave-laws.pdf
(8) http://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/resources/workplace/paid-leave/state-paid-family-leave-laws.pdf

 

Senator Looney Proudly Schedules Vote And Leads Passage Of Bill To Create Statewide Paid Family And Medical Leave Program

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Senator Looney Proudly Schedules
Vote And Leads Passage Of Bill To Create Statewide Paid Family And Medical Leave Program

HARTFORD,
CT – Today, Senate President
Pro Tempore Martin Looney (D-New Haven) proudly
scheduled a vote on and led passage of legislation creating a statewide paid family and medical leave program. Connecticut residents would gain access to benefits allowing them to take time off work to care for a newborn child or a sick family member under
the new bill.

“A
strong paid family medical leave program is necessary and beneficial for our modern workforce,” said
Senator Looney.
“People shouldn’t have to choose between going
to work and caring for a newborn, a sick family member, or even neglecting their own health. This measure is long overdue and I’m eager to see its passage into law.”

Paid
family and medical leave in Connecticut comes as the state, and several others across the United States, work to match what is otherwise a global custom. The United States is the only nation of the 41 in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
and the European Union that does not provide any paid leave for new parents, and the United Nations’ International Labor Organization indicates 183 of 185 countries surveyed provide paid maternity leave; only the United States and Papau New Guinea do not.

Additionally,
the legislation aims to support a changing family and household dynamic in the United States. In the last 45 years, the number of households with both parents working full time increased by 15 percent, and the number of two-parent households where the mother
is not employed fell by 20 percent in that time. Connecticut joins Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, California, Washington and the District of Columbia in implementing these new programs.

The details of the bill include:

Length of Paid Leave
Connecticut employees will be eligible for 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. If an employee experiences pregnancy-related serious health condition that results in incapacity then the employee would be eligible for 14 weeks.

Similarly, state programs in Massachusetts and Washington state provide 12 weeks of paid leave. Washington also provides an additional two weeks for serious pregnancy-related health conditions. However, in Massachusetts employees are eligible for 20 weeks of paid leave for their own serious health condition.

Reasons for Paid Leave
Connecticut employees would be able to use paid family and medical leave for five reasons:

  • 1. Care for a new child (birth, adoption, foster)
  • 2. Care for family member with serious health condition
  • 3. Care for own serious health condition
  • 4. Qualifying exigency arising out of family member being on active duty
  • 5. To serve as an organ or bone marrow donor

New York, Washington state, and Massachusetts allow reasons one through four. Connecticut would be the only state in the country to allow for paid leave due to donating bone marrow or an organ.

Definition of Family Member

Connecticut’s definition of a family member would align with that of New Jersey and include:

  • Child
  • Parent
  • Spouse
  • Domestic partner
  • Grandparent
  • Grandchild
  • Individual related to the employee by blood or affinity whose close association the employee shows to be the equivalent of those family relationships

Benefit Amount

Beginning January 1, 2022, the weekly benefit for Connecticut employees will be 95% of 40 times the minimum wage and 60% on earnings above the minimum wage. The maximum weekly benefit cannot exceed 60 times the minimum wage which is the equivalent of $780 on a $13 minimum wage, $840 on a $14 minimum wage, and $900 on a $15 minimum wage.

Connecticut’s benefits align similarly with other states. In California the maximum weekly benefit is $1,252, $1,000 in the District of Columbia, and $850 in Massachusetts.

Employees Covered
In Connecticut paid leave will apply to private sector employers with one or more employees. Self-employed employees and sole-proprietors have the ability to opt-in to the program. In addition, non-union state and local government employees are covered. Unionized workers will have the ability to collectively bargain and become covered.

Similarly all private sector employers are covered in state paid leave programs in California, the District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Washington state.

Program Funding
In Connecticut both personal disability leave and family care leave will be funded by the employee only. The withholding rate is 0.5 (one-half of one) percent on earnings up to the Social Security wage base.

For comparison, other states fund paid leave programs through either the employee only or a combination of the employee and the employer. In California, both personal disability and family care are funded by the employee only at one percent of a worker’s first $118,371 in wages. Additionally in Rhode Island, both personal disability and family care are funded by the employee only at 1.1 percent of a worker’s first $71,000 in wages.

 

Sen. Maroney Votes in Favor of Statewide Paid Family and Medical Leave Program

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Sen. Maroney Votes in Favor of Statewide
Paid Family and Medical Leave Program

HARTFORD, CT – Today, state Senator James Maroney (D-Milford) voted in favor of legislation to create a statewide paid family and medical leave program. The bill passed by a 21 to 15 vote. This legislation will enable Connecticut residents to gain access to benefits allowing them to take time off from work to care for a newborn or a sick family member and have the peace of mind that they will still receive a paycheck.

“This legislation will provide the peace of mind to families that they will not have to choose between their health and the health of their families, and making a rent or mortgage payment,” said Sen. Maroney. “This will bring us in line with the protections that our surrounding states provide. I applaud state Senator Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) and my colleagues for their work on this important legislation.”

Senate Bill 1, “An Act Concerning Paid Family and Medical Leave,” is state Senate Democrats’ top priority this legislative session. This program reflects the needs of the changing dynamic of working households in the United States. The percentage of two-parent households in which both parents work full time was 31 percent in 1970 and increased to 46 percent in 2015. Similarly, the percentage of two-parent households in which the father is full time and the mother is not employed has shrunk from 46 percent in 1970 to 26 percent in 2015.

As the dynamic of the modern household continues to evolve, state governments across the United States are beginning to enact family and medical leave programs to catch up with other countries which have had similar programs on the books for years. California, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington state all have paid family and medical leave programs.

According to the United Nations’ International Labor Organization, 183 of the 185 countries and territories surveyed provide some sort of paid maternity leave. Across the 41 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Union, the United States is the only nation that does not provide any paid leave for new parents.

The details of the bill include:

Length of Paid Leave
Connecticut employees will be eligible for 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. If an employee experiences pregnancy-related serious health condition that results in incapacity then the employee would be eligible for 14 weeks.

Similarly, state programs in Massachusetts and Washington state provide 12 weeks of paid leave. Washington also provides an additional two weeks for serious pregnancy-related health conditions. However, in Massachusetts employees are eligible for 20 weeks of paid leave for their own serious health condition.

Reasons for Paid Leave
Connecticut employees would be able to use paid family and medical leave for five reasons:

  • 1. Care for a new child (birth, adoption, foster)
  • 2. Care for family member with serious health condition
  • 3. Care for own serious health condition
  • 4. Qualifying exigency arising out of family member being on active duty
  • 5. To serve as an organ or bone marrow donor

New York, Washington state, and Massachusetts allow reasons one through four. Connecticut would be the only state in the country to allow for paid leave due to donating bone marrow or an organ.

Definition of Family Member

Connecticut’s definition of a family member would align with that of New Jersey and include:

  • Child
  • Parent
  • Spouse
  • Domestic partner
  • Grandparent
  • Grandchild
  • Individual related to the employee by blood or affinity whose close association the employee shows to be the equivalent of those family relationships

Benefit Amount

Beginning January 1, 2022, the weekly benefit for Connecticut employees will be 95% of 40 times the minimum wage and 60% on earnings above the minimum wage. The maximum weekly benefit cannot exceed 60 times the minimum wage which is the equivalent of $780 on a $13 minimum wage, $840 on a $14 minimum wage, and $900 on a $15 minimum wage.

Connecticut’s benefits align similarly with other states. In California the maximum weekly benefit is $1,252, $1,000 in the District of Columbia, and $850 in Massachusetts.

Employees Covered
In Connecticut paid leave will apply to private sector employers with one or more employees. Self-employed employees and sole-proprietors have the ability to opt-in to the program. In addition, non-union state and local government employees are covered. Unionized workers will have the ability to collectively bargain and become covered.

Similarly all private sector employers are covered in state paid leave programs in California, the District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Washington state.

Program Funding
In Connecticut both personal disability leave and family care leave will be funded by the employee only. The withholding rate is 0.5 (one-half of one) percent on earnings up to the Social Security wage base.

For comparison, other states fund paid leave programs through either the employee only or a combination of the employee and the employer. In California, both personal disability and family care are funded by the employee only at one percent of a worker’s first $118,371 in wages. Additionally in Rhode Island, both personal disability and family care are funded by the employee only at 1.1 percent of a worker’s first $71,000 in wages.

Senate Confirms Melissa Kane to Join Connecticut Commuter Rail Council

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Senate Confirms Melissa Kane to Join Connecticut Commuter Rail Council

HARTFORD, CT – The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the nomination of Melissa Kane of Westport to become a member of the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council. Kane, a Selectwoman on Westport’s Board of Selectmen, has a long history of volunteer and leadership service in Westport, along with strong business experience that is well suited to position her as an advocate for Connecticut commuters and riders on the state’s many rail services.

“Westport needs a strong voice on the commuter rail council,” said Sen. Haskell. “For commuters and homeowners alike, Fairfield County’s economic vitality is tied to our ability to travel to and from Manhattan. Melissa is a tireless advocate and has had extensive success organizing and leading many local initiatives,” said Sen. Haskell. “With her membership on the CCRC, Melissa will continue to fight for Westport. I was thrilled to support her nomination.”

“I am honored to have been appointed to the Commuter Rail Council,” said Kane. “Connecticut is home to one of the most heavily traveled and critical sections of the Northeast rail corridor. Facilitating excellent commuter rail service along it is fundamental to our economic and environmental sustainability and success. The Commuter Rail Council has an important role to play in helping make that happen, and I hope to be an asset to the Council.”

“Melissa Kane will be a great addition to the council,” said State Representative Jonathan Steinberg (D-Westport). “She is a recognized community leader who grasps the critical importance of a safe and reliable MetroNorth for Fairfield County and the state’s economy.”

Senator Haskell Proudly Votes For Paid Family And Medical Leave

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Senator Haskell Proudly Votes For Paid Family And Medical Leave

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HARTFORD, CT – Today, State Senator Will Haskell (D-Westport) proudly voted for legislation bringing paid family and medical leave to Connecticut. Connecticut residents would gain access to benefits allowing them to take time off work to care for a newborn child or a sick family member under the bill. The program will be entirely employee-funded, not requiring any employer contribution.

“With this program, we join our neighbors in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island in recognizing that the world is changing, and no one should be forced to go back to work when they are still recovering from an illness or caring for a new baby,” said Sen. Haskell. “As we debated this bill, I thought about my own mom. After I was born, she had just two weeks before she had to go back to work. One quarter of mothers in the United States shared that exact same experience. In our advanced economy, no one should have to choose between career and family. This policy is self-sustaining and financed by employee contributions. It will incentivize future workers to choose Connecticut as they are debating where to start their careers and their families. Paid medical leave represents a major step forward and the beginning of a new chapter in our state’s history.”

Paid family and medical leave in Connecticut comes as the state, and several others across the United States, work to match what is otherwise a global custom. The United States is the only nation of the 41 in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Union that does not provide any paid leave for new parents, and the United Nations’ International Labor Organization indicates 183 of 185 countries surveyed provide paid maternity leave; only the United States and Papau New Guinea do not.

Additionally, the legislation aims to support a changing family and household dynamic in the United States. In the last 45 years, the number of households with both parents working full time increased by 15 percent, and the number of two-parent households where the mother is not employed fell by 20 percent in that time. Modern families rely on working parents, leading to challenges for many families in times of pregnancy or illness.

Connecticut joins Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, California, Washington and the District of Columbia in implementing these new programs.

Sustainable Funding

In Connecticut, personal disability leave and family care leave will be funded solely by employees. The program will be funded by a withholding rate of 0.5 percent, or one-half of one percent, on earnings up to the Social Security wage base. This is similar to other programs in other states. California funds its program with a 1 percent withholding rate on workers’ first $118,371 in wages; Rhode Island funds its with the first 1.1 percent of a worker’s first $71,000 in wages.

Who Benefits

Under the paid family and medical leave program, employees in the state will be eligible for 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a new child, a family member with a serious health condition, or to care for their own serious health condition. Additionally, employees can claim leave if they meet qualifying standards when an employee is on active duty, or if they are to serve as organ or bone marrow donors. Connecticut would be the first state to allow paid leave for such a donation.

Under the legislation, “family member” refers to a child, parent, spouse, domestic partner, grandparent, grandchild or an individual related by blood. It also refers to someone whose “close association to an employee is equivalent of a family relationship.”

Employee Coverage

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2022, the weekly benefit Connecticut employees can receive is 95 percent of 40 times the minimum wage and 60 percent on earnings above the minimum wage. The maximum benefit cannot exceed 60 times the minimum wage, meaning the maximum benefit will be $780 in 2022 when the minimum wage is $13, $840 when the minimum wage increases to $14 later that year, and $900 in 2023 when the minimum wage increases to $15.

These benefits are similar to other states, which implemented maximum benefits ranging from $850 to $1,252.

Paid leave in Connecticut will apply to private sector employers with at least one employee, while self-employed and sole-proprietor employees can opt-in. Non-union state and local government employees are also covered, while unionized workers can collectively bargain to become covered. This is similar to paid leave programs in California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Washington.

The bill will now go to the House.

Senate Approves Education Legislation Integrating Key School Cooperation Proposal From Senator Needleman

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Senate Approves Education Legislation Integrating Key School Cooperation Proposal From Senator Needleman

HARTFORD, CT – This week, the Senate approved legislation revising and adding to the state’s education statutes, among them being key proposals introduced by State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex). These changes include studying the viability of encouraging regional cooperation statewide instead of mandating any action or change on behalf of the state.

Among the changes made by Senate Bill No. 1069, “An Act Concerning Various Revisions and Additions to the Education Statutes,” include those adapted from proposed legislation introduced by Sen. Needleman earlier this year. The Department of Education would be allowed to study the effects of towns working as Local Education Agencies, which would allow voluntary regional cooperation and maximizing efficiencies and cost savings without any mandates from the state toward regionalization.

“This legislation was designed to reduce the red tape we see in current school systems, and is intended to allow schools to cooperate on their own voluntary terms instead of any mandates or required work imposed by the state,” said Sen. Needleman. “I have firsthand experience, working as first selectman of a town in a regional school district, that schools can work together effectively. I also know there are unnecessary standards and rules in place that prevent them from doing just that. By opening state law up and allowing increased creativity among our school districts, we can help our state’s educators find new and more efficient standards on their own terms.”

This effort is the result of hard work from Sen. Needleman and colleagues pushing against mandated school regionalization efforts, as they know educators know how to best assist their students. Sen. Needleman and officials from East Haddam, Chester, Deep River, Essex, Clinton, Portland and the Region 4 School District supported the shift from mandating change to supporting collaboration. The Connecticut Association Board of Education also supported their efforts.

Senator Needleman Votes To Create Paid Family And Medical Leave Program

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Senator Needleman Votes To Create Paid Family And Medical Leave Program

HARTFORD, CT – Today, State Senator Norm Needleman (D-Essex) voted to approve legislation creating a statewide paid family and medical leave program. Connecticut residents will now gain access to benefits allowing them to take time off work to care for a newborn child or a sick family member.

“As a business owner, I think paid family and medical leave is a necessary tool for recruiting new and younger employees. There’s an expectation that this is an essential part of their business lives, and from an economic development point of view, as a state, this is an important way to attract millennials,” said Sen. Needleman. “It’s an important point to make sure people are not forced to choose between caring for their families and keeping their jobs.”

Paid family and medical leave in Connecticut comes as the state, and several others across the United States, work to match what is otherwise a global custom. The United States is the only nation of the 41 in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Union that does not provide any paid leave for new parents, and the United Nations’ International Labor Organization indicates 183 of 185 countries surveyed provide paid maternity leave; only the United States and Papau New Guinea do not.

Additionally, the legislation aims to support a changing family and household dynamic in the United States. In the last 45 years, the number of households with both parents working full time increased by 15 percent, and the number of two-parent households where the mother is not employed fell by 20 percent in that time. Connecticut joins Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, California, Washington and the District of Columbia in implementing these new programs.

The details of the bill include:

Length of Paid Leave
Connecticut employees will be eligible for 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. If an employee experiences pregnancy-related serious health condition that results in incapacity then the employee would be eligible for 14 weeks.

Similarly, state programs in Massachusetts and Washington state provide 12 weeks of paid leave. Washington also provides an additional two weeks for serious pregnancy-related health conditions. However, in Massachusetts employees are eligible for 20 weeks of paid leave for their own serious health condition.

Reasons for Paid Leave
Connecticut employees would be able to use paid family and medical leave for five reasons:

  • 1. Care for a new child (birth, adoption, foster)
  • 2. Care for family member with serious health condition
  • 3. Care for own serious health condition
  • 4. Qualifying exigency arising out of family member being on active duty
  • 5. To serve as an organ or bone marrow donor

New York, Washington state, and Massachusetts allow reasons one through four. Connecticut would be the only state in the country to allow for paid leave due to donating bone marrow or an organ.

Definition of Family Member

Connecticut’s definition of a family member would align with that of New Jersey and include:

  • Child
  • Parent
  • Spouse
  • Domestic partner
  • Grandparent
  • Grandchild
  • Individual related to the employee by blood or affinity whose close association the employee shows to be the equivalent of those family relationships

Benefit Amount

Beginning January 1, 2022, the weekly benefit for Connecticut employees will be 95% of 40 times the minimum wage and 60% on earnings above the minimum wage. The maximum weekly benefit cannot exceed 60 times the minimum wage which is the equivalent of $780 on a $13 minimum wage, $840 on a $14 minimum wage, and $900 on a $15 minimum wage.

Connecticut’s benefits align similarly with other states. In California the maximum weekly benefit is $1,252, $1,000 in the District of Columbia, and $850 in Massachusetts.

Employees Covered
In Connecticut paid leave will apply to private sector employers with one or more employees. Self-employed employees and sole-proprietors have the ability to opt-in to the program. In addition, non-union state and local government employees are covered. Unionized workers will have the ability to collectively bargain and become covered.

Similarly all private sector employers are covered in state paid leave programs in California, the District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Washington state.

Program Funding
In Connecticut both personal disability leave and family care leave will be funded by the employee only. The withholding rate is 0.5 (one-half of one) percent on earnings up to the Social Security wage base.

For comparison, other states fund paid leave programs through either the employee only or a combination of the employee and the employer. In California, both personal disability and family care are funded by the employee only at one percent of a worker’s first $118,371 in wages. Additionally in Rhode Island, both personal disability and family care are funded by the employee only at 1.1 percent of a worker’s first $71,000 in wages.

Senator Duff Leads Passage Of Statewide Paid Family And Medical Leave Program

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Senator Duff Leads Passage Of Statewide
Paid Family And Medical Leave Program

HARTFORD,
CT – Today, Senate Majority
Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) led passage of
legislation creating a statewide paid family and medical leave program. Connecticut residents would gain access to benefits allowing them to take time off work to care for a newborn child or a sick family member under the new bill.

“The
United States is well behind the rest of the world when it comes to paid family medical leave policies,” said
Senator Duff.
“Connecticut needs to catch up with our neighboring states and pass this legislation. Doing so will send a message that our state values its workers and is a great place to live and raise a family.”

Paid
family and medical leave in Connecticut comes as the state, and several others across the United States, work to match what is otherwise a global custom. The United States is the only nation of the 41 in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
and the European Union that does not provide any paid leave for new parents, and the United Nations’ International Labor Organization indicates 183 of 185 countries surveyed provide paid maternity leave; only the United States and Papau New Guinea do not.

Additionally, the legislation aims to support a changing family and household dynamic in the United States. In the last 45 years, the number of households with both parents working full time increased by 15 percent, and the number of two-parent households where the mother is not employed fell by 20 percent in that time. Connecticut joins Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, California, Washington and the District of Columbia in implementing these new programs.

The details of the bill include:

Length of Paid Leave
Connecticut employees will be eligible for 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. If an employee experiences pregnancy-related serious health condition that results in incapacity then the employee would be eligible for 14 weeks.

Similarly, state programs in Massachusetts and Washington state provide 12 weeks of paid leave. Washington also provides an additional two weeks for serious pregnancy-related health conditions. However, in Massachusetts employees are eligible for 20 weeks of paid leave for their own serious health condition.

Reasons for Paid Leave
Connecticut employees would be able to use paid family and medical leave for five reasons:

  • 1. Care for a new child (birth, adoption, foster)
  • 2. Care for family member with serious health condition
  • 3. Care for own serious health condition
  • 4. Qualifying exigency arising out of family member being on active duty
  • 5. To serve as an organ or bone marrow donor

New York, Washington state, and Massachusetts allow reasons one through four. Connecticut would be the only state in the country to allow for paid leave due to donating bone marrow or an organ.

Definition of Family Member

Connecticut’s definition of a family member would align with that of New Jersey and include:

  • Child
  • Parent
  • Spouse
  • Domestic partner
  • Grandparent
  • Grandchild
  • Individual related to the employee by blood or affinity whose close association the employee shows to be the equivalent of those family relationships

Benefit Amount

Beginning January 1, 2022, the weekly benefit for Connecticut employees will be 95% of 40 times the minimum wage and 60% on earnings above the minimum wage. The maximum weekly benefit cannot exceed 60 times the minimum wage which is the equivalent of $780 on a $13 minimum wage, $840 on a $14 minimum wage, and $900 on a $15 minimum wage.

Connecticut’s benefits align similarly with other states. In California the maximum weekly benefit is $1,252, $1,000 in the District of Columbia, and $850 in Massachusetts.

Employees Covered
In Connecticut paid leave will apply to private sector employers with one or more employees. Self-employed employees and sole-proprietors have the ability to opt-in to the program. In addition, non-union state and local government employees are covered. Unionized workers will have the ability to collectively bargain and become covered.

Similarly all private sector employers are covered in state paid leave programs in California, the District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Washington state.

Program Funding
In Connecticut both personal disability leave and family care leave will be funded by the employee only. The withholding rate is 0.5 (one-half of one) percent on earnings up to the Social Security wage base.

For comparison, other states fund paid leave programs through either the employee only or a combination of the employee and the employer. In California, both personal disability and family care are funded by the employee only at one percent of a worker’s first $118,371 in wages. Additionally in Rhode Island, both personal disability and family care are funded by the employee only at 1.1 percent of a worker’s first $71,000 in wages.

Sen. Lesser-Introduced Legislation to Provide Expanded Epinephrine Access Passes State Senate

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Sen. Lesser-Introduced Legislation to Provide
Expanded Epinephrine Access Passes State Senate

HARTFORD, CT – Today, legislation State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) introduced to provide expanded access to life-saving epinephrine to treat anaphylactic allergic reactions passed the state Senate by a unanimous vote.

Last week at a press conference on this bill the Sen. Lesser said he suffered an anaphylactic allergic reaction at the Capitol and learned the Capitol did not stock epinephrine. He was rushed to the hospital to receive the life-saving care he required, but said others may not be as fortunate. Sen. Lesser said expanding access to EpiPens and other epinephrine devices will save lives.

“This legislation will save lives,” said Sen. Lesser. “I am grateful to state Senator Mary Daugherty Abrams and state Representative Robin Comey in particular for her work to help me pass this important bill.”

State Senator Mary Daugherty Abrams (D-Meriden, Middlefield, Rockfall, Middletown, Cheshire), the co-chair of the Public Health Committee, led debate on this bill and said the life-saving impact of expanded epinephrine access cannot be understated.

“During an allergy attack, mere seconds can mean the difference between life and death, and an EpiPen isn’t always within arm’s reach,” said Sen. Abrams. “By making sure these lifesaving tools are readily available in public places, we protect individuals in our communities who suffer from food allergies. I’m excited we’re taking a stand and potentially saving lives with this legislation. I would like to thank Sen. Lesser and Representative Comey for their leadership on this bill.”

State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), who is vice chair of the Public Health Committee, agreed.

“Having easy access to epinephrine will save lives,” said Sen. Anwar. “Unfortunately, the number of individuals with allergies, and the severity of those allergies, is increasing. When someone goes into anaphylactic shock, timely presence of epinephrine will save lives. I’m excited to support this and am happy that, as a state, we have moved in the right direction.”

Senate Bill 706 (SB 706), “An Act Concerning Epinephrine Auto Injectors,” will make epinephrine devices and EpiPens available in public venues, camps, preschools and entertainment businesses.

A recent study revealed that 32 million Americans are living with food allergies and 26 million of those affected are adults. Severe food allergies can be life-threatening and, according to the Food and Drug Administration, it is estimated that each year in the United States there are 30,000 emergency room visits, 2,000 hospitalizations, and 150 deaths due to anaphylaxis to food.

Currently 33 other states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation permitting public venues to maintain epinephrine auto injectors. Prior to passage in the state Senate, SB 706 received bipartisan support in the Public Health Committee advancing by a unanimous vote on March 8. The bill now awaits action by the state House of Representatives and a signature by the Governor. Once signed into law, this legislation will go into effect immediately.

Sen. Lesser-Introduced Legislation to Protect Intersex Persons Passes State Senate

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Sen. Lesser-Introduced Legislation to
Protect Intersex Persons Passes State Senate

HARTFORD, CT – Today, legislation state Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) introduced to protect intersex persons from discrimination on the basis of sex and to allow them to identify as intersex on birth certificates passed the state Senate by a unanimous vote. Sen. Lesser said he is thrilled this legislation passed the state Senate.

“I’m proud Connecticut will be the first state to explicitly protect intersex children and adults,” said Sen. Lesser. “I am also grateful that my colleagues in the state Senate passed this legislation unanimously.”

Under this legislation, intersex means a condition in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy or chromosome pattern that does not fit the typical definition of male or female. According to InterACT, an organization that uses legal strategies to advocate for the human rights of the intersex community, it is estimated that one in 2,000 people are intersex.

Senate Bill 388 (SB 388) “An Act Concerning Intersex Persons” will establish an eight-member task force to study the circumstances in which surgery related to an individual’s intersex status is medically necessary. The task force must meet no later than 60 days after passage of this legislation. The task force will report its findings and recommendations to the Public Health Committee by January 1, 2020. The task force will be appointed by the state Senate’s president pro tempore, the state House of Representatives speaker, and the Senate and House majority and minority leaders.

In addition to appointing the task force, SB 388 specifies that “discrimination on the basis of sex” will include discrimination related to intersex characteristics, for purposes of anti-discrimination laws under the jurisdiction of the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. This legislation will also allow an intersex applicant to identify as such on a driver’s license or non-driver identification card, allow parents to list a child’s intersex status on their birth certificate, allow intersex adults to amend their birth certificate to reflect that status and requires public agencies that require people to identify their sex to accept as proof of intersex identification an identity card, driver’s license, or birth certificate, and specify the person’s sex as intersex on any documentation listing an individual’s sex.

This legislation has received bipartisan support and passed the Public Health Committee by a unanimous vote on April 1. The bill now awaits action in the House and a signature by the governor. If enacted, this law goes into effect on October 1, 2019.