In recent years, Pennsylvania has experienced an alarming increase in climate-related emergencies — floods that wash away homes, extreme heat events that endanger health, wildfires and smoke that make it unsafe to breathe, and storms that shut down entire communities. For too many workers, these disasters force an impossible choice: protect themselves and their families, or go to work to keep their paycheck.
I will be introducing legislation to create the Climate Emergency Paid Leave Act, which will require all employers in Pennsylvania to provide a guaranteed minimum amount of paid leave for employees directly affected by climate-related disasters.
Under this bill:
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All employees — full-time, part-time, and seasonal — will be eligible if they cannot work because of personal injury, illness, displacement, unsafe working conditions, or care obligations resulting from a climate emergency.
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Qualifying events include extreme weather, natural disasters linked to climate change, and any incident within a federally or state-declared disaster area.
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Leave will be immediately available when a qualifying emergency is declared, with no accrual or waiting period.
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Employers will be reimbursed for part of the cost through a Climate Emergency Paid Leave Fund, supported by state appropriations and federal disaster aid.
Paid leave in the aftermath of climate disasters is not just a workplace benefit — it is a public safety measure. By ensuring workers can stay home when conditions are dangerous, we protect lives, reduce injury, and give communities the time to recover.
I invite you to join me in co-sponsoring this legislation to safeguard the livelihoods of Pennsylvanians and strengthen our resilience in the face of climate change.