New Jersey Gov. Corzine Calls for Legislature To Pass Paid Family Leave Bill

Via the National Partnership's Daily Women's Health Policy Report:

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) on Friday said he would like to sign a bill (S 2249) by next month that would allow workers in businesses of any size to take up to 10 weeks off every two years to care for a newborn or a sick family member and continue to receive a portion of their wages, Gannett/Vineland Daily Journal reports (Stilwell, Gannett/Vineland Daily Journal, 12/3). The bill is awaiting a floor vote in the state Senate, but the state Assembly has not yet held a committee hearing on the bill, the Newark Star-Ledger reports (Howlett, Newark Star-Ledger, 12/1).

Workers would be required to use vacation time prior to using family leave and payments would be limited to two-thirds of an employee's gross salary up to $502 weekly, according to the measure. The program would be funded through an employee-only payroll deduction of 0.1% that would be set aside in a reserve in the state's disability fund (Gannett/Vineland Daily Journal, 12/3).