Budget Amendment ID: FY2024-S3-330

ECO 330

Paid Family and Medical Leave program improvements

Mr. Lewis, Ms. Rausch and Messrs. Pacheco, Payano, Keenan, Collins, Cyr and Feeney moved that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after section 60 the following sections:-

SECTION 61. Subsection (c) of section 3 of chapter 175M of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking clauses (i) and (ii) from the second sentence and inserting instead the following three clauses after the colon appearing after the word "wage", at line 32:-

(i) a temporary disability policy or program of an employer; (ii) a paid family, or medical leave policy of an employer; or (iii)  a sick, vacation, personal time or other paid leave policy or program provided by the employer.

SECTION 62. Subsection (a) of section 4 of chapter 175M, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the second paragraph the following paragraph:-

When an employee requests leave under this chapter, or when the employer acquires knowledge that an employee's leave may be for a qualifying reason under this chapter, the employer must notify the employee of the employee's eligibility to take paid leave under this chapter within five business days, absent extenuating circumstances, by giving the employee the appropriate leave certification form as designated by the department, in the primary language of the employee.

SECTION 63. Subsection (a) of Section 4 of said chapter 175M, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the third paragraph the following paragraph:-

When a covered contract worker requests leave under this chapter, or when the covered business entity acquires knowledge that a covered contractor worker’s leave may be for a qualifying reason under this chapter, the covered business entity must notify the worker of the worker’s eligibility to take leave under this chapter within five business days, absent extenuating circumstances, by giving the worker the appropriate leave certification form as designated by the department, in their primary language.

SECTION 64. Subsection (e) of section 7 of chapter 175M of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking clause (vii) from the first sentence in the second paragraph in its entirety and inserting the following clause at the end of clause (vi), on line 92:-

(vii) overall claimant demographics by age, gender, race and ethnicity, primary language of applicant, geography, average weekly wage, occupation, employment type (full or part time or self-employed), and the type of leave taken;

And by striking the word “and” after the semicolon at the end of clause (xii), at line 100;

And by striking clause (xiii) in its entirety and inserting at the end of clause (xii), at line 100, the following:-

(xiii) the number of cases remaining open at the close of such year; (xiv) the number of businesses and total workforce headcount enrolled, and the number of businesses and total workforce headcount covered by private plans; and (xv) the length of time between a covered individual’s first day of leave and their first payment of benefits. Data in (ii) through (vi), (xi), and (xv) shall be disaggregated by age, gender, race and ethnicity, primary language of applicant, geography, average weekly wage, occupation, employment type, and the type of leave taken. Data in (iii) and (vi) shall be further disaggregated by the relationship between the claimant and family member. Data in (vi) shall be further disaggregated by year of birth or placement.