BILL NUMBER: S1193
SPONSOR: ADDABBO
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the workers' compensation law, in relation to requiring
public employers who opt out of providing paid family leave benefits to
provide parental leave in the alternative
 
PURPOSE:
To require public employers who opt out of providing paid family leave
benefits to provide paternity leave in the alternative
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 212-b of the workers' compensation
law is amended by adding a new paragraph (c) to read as follows:
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, if a
public employer chooses to opt out of paid family leave benefits pursu-
ant to paragraph b of this subdivision, then such public employer shall
be required to offer paternity leave to its employees for a period not
to exceed twelve weeks during any fifty-two week calendar period.
Employers shall pay employees on paternity leave a rate of sixty-seven
percent of the employee's average weekly wage. but shall not exceed
sixty-seven percent of the New York state average weekly wage in effect.
Section 2 is the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
New York State designed Paid Family Leave to be easy for employers to
implement. Since its creation, there has been a lack of equity and
equality when it comes to an employee's options for parental leave.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2022: S.8211 - Reported and Committed to Finance
2023: 5.1668 - Referred to Senate Labor Committee
2024: S.1668 - Referred to Senate Labor Committee
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.