The proposed bill establishes the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act in Nebraska, which provides paid leave benefits for covered individuals for specific qualifying reasons, such as caring for a new child or addressing serious health conditions. It allows individuals to take up to ten weeks of paid leave, with benefits calculated as a percentage of their average weekly wage, capped at sixty-six percent of the state average weekly wage. The bill outlines the claims process, eligibility determination by the Commissioner of Labor, and includes a waiting period for the first week of leave. It also protects individuals from employer retaliation for exercising their rights under the act.

Additionally, the bill amends existing laws related to the Unemployment Compensation Fund and the Nebraska Health Care Cash Fund, ensuring that funds remain mingled and undivided, and introduces provisions for part-time employment. It specifies transfer amounts to the Health Care Cash Fund and allows for funding pancreatic cancer research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, contingent upon matching funds. The bill emphasizes non-discrimination based on sexual orientation for institutions receiving funds from the Health Care Cash Fund and mandates annual reporting to the Legislature on family and medical leave metrics.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 48-652, 71-7611