Substitute Senate Bill No. 222, known as Public Act No. 24-5, is a legislative act that revises the Paid Family and Medical Leave statutes, with changes effective from October 1, 2024. The bill amends definitions and provisions related to the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Authority, including the inclusion of federally recognized tribes through memorandums of understanding and updates the definition of "employer" to encompass these tribes. It also revises terms such as "base weekly earnings," "covered employee," and "serious health condition," among others, and renumbers definitions to include a new one for "municipality." The bill modifies the contribution rate to the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund, setting a cap at one-half of one percent of subject earnings, and outlines employer responsibilities for withholding and reporting contributions, with penalties for non-compliance. Additionally, it allows state collection agencies to collect unpaid contributions and interest.

The bill also addresses family and medical leave compensation, specifying that covered employees are entitled to up to twelve weeks of leave compensation for certain reasons, with an additional two weeks for pregnancy-related incapacitation. It sets the compensation rate and caps the total weekly compensation, allowing for prorated compensation and concurrent receipt with employer-provided benefits, barring double compensation with other state or federal wage replacement programs. The bill includes penalties for false statements or misrepresentations, disqualification from the program, and repayment of benefits with an additional penalty. It also mandates a public education campaign and requires health care providers to display informational posters. The bill introduces penalties for wilful misrepresentation by health care providers, liability for aiding fraudulent claims, and provisions for overpayment repayment. It extends the reporting deadline for the authority and allows the Governor to enter agreements with federally recognized tribes. Lastly, the bill updates leave provisions for victims of family violence or sexual assault, including new definitions, leave reasons, notification procedures, and protections against employer retaliation, with the possibility of civil action for affected employees.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 31-49e, 31-49n, 31-49r, 31-49t, 31-51kk, 31-51ss
LAB Joint Favorable Substitute: 31-49e, 31-49n, 31-49r, 31-49t, 31-51kk, 31-51ss
File No. 75: 31-49e, 31-49n, 31-49r, 31-49t, 31-51kk, 31-51ss
Public Act No. 24-5: 31-49e, 31-49n, 31-49r, 31-49t, 31-51kk, 31-51ss