We will soon re-introduce legislation that would extend rights of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to siblings, grandparents and grandchildren in certain cases.

This legislation has been circulated during the past several legislative sessions and has been championed by a resident of West Goshen Township in Chester County, who has shared her personal experience of navigating care for her sister Joanne who was diagnosed in 2008 with late-stage gynecologic cancer. Because Joanne was unmarried and without children, her father was deceased, and her mother was elderly with her own health conditions, her sister was the sole individual who could care for Joanne. Since caring for a sibling is not an eligible cause for leave under the FMLA, Joanne’s sister’s only option was to leave her job of 16 years, which she did. Joanne sadly passed away in 2009.

Our legislation would provide up to six weeks of protected, unpaid leave to an employee to care for a sibling, grandparent, or grandchild with a certified terminal illness if such sibling, grandparent or grandchild has no living spouse, no child over 17 years of age or no parent under 65 years of age.

Joanne’s sister has long supported this legislation and presented testimony before the Senate Labor & Industry Committee during the 2018-19 session. In 2022, this legislation passed the Senate overwhelmingly but received no further legislative action in the House of Representatives. Last session this bill was introduced as SB 64. Members who co-sponsored this legislation previously include Senators Haywood, Hughes, Kearney, Fontana, Schwank, Collett, Street, Costa, Cappelletti, Comitta, and Santarsiero.

In helping workers and their loved ones through tough times, this legislation is low-hanging fruit and would mark a crucial first step in reforming our state’s family leave policy. No Pennsylvanian should have to choose between caring for a loved one and their personal livelihood.

Please join us in supporting this important legislation.