This bill makes several amendments to the General Laws regarding temporary disability insurance. It adds new definitions for terms such as "Average weekly wage," "Benefit," "Benefit rate," "Benefit year," "Director," and "Employer." It also adds a new provision related to "Partial unemployment due to sickness." The bill defines "services" and "sickness" and amends the definitions of "taxes" and "wages." It also allows self-employed Rhode Island residents to become subject to temporary disability insurance by filing an enrollment form and specifies the taxable wage base for each calendar year.

The bill also makes changes to the current law regarding temporary disability insurance benefits. It states that self-employed Rhode Island residents who fail to meet reporting requirements or make timely contributions will be ineligible for benefits until they have paid any outstanding payments owed. It adds a provision that employers or self-employed residents who fail to make required contributions will be liable for interest on delinquent payments. It amends provisions regarding wages included for benefit purposes and clarifies that wages for employment from employers only include those wages paid after the employer has satisfied the conditions of becoming an employer subject to the law. It also states that self-employed residents' wages earned through self-employment will be considered wages for determining benefits if they have applied for coverage under the temporary disability insurance program.

This bill also makes changes to the current law regarding unemployment benefits and temporary caregiver benefits. It increases the maximum weekly benefit rate for unemployment benefits to 75% of an individual's average weekly wage starting in 2024. It allows individuals to receive dependent's allowances for up to five dependents. It clarifies that individuals who are partially unemployed due to sickness reasons can receive benefits that, when combined with their wages, equal the weekly benefit rate they would receive if they were totally unemployed due to sickness reasons. It establishes eligibility and benefits for temporary caregiver benefits, including the maximum number of weeks an individual can receive benefits and the requirement for employees to provide written notice to their employer before taking family leave. It also states that individuals cannot receive both temporary caregiver benefits and temporary disability benefits for the same purpose. The bill also amends the Medical Leave Act and the Rhode Island parental and family medical leave act to allow employers to require employees who are entitled to leave under these acts to take any temporary caregiver benefits received concurrently with any leave taken under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act and/or the Rhode Island parental and family medical leave act. The bill will take effect on January 1, 2024. Additionally, the bill increases the taxable wage base for contributions to the Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) and Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI) funds, increases individual benefit rates for lower wage individuals, and creates an opt-in option for self-employed workers. The changes to the TDI and TCI funds will also take effect on January 1, 2024.