CT HB05387

Establishes a Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program administered by the Labor Department, offering up to 12 workweeks of paid leave during any 12-month period, with 2 additional weeks for serious pregnancy-related health conditions.

Creates a Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund funded by employee contributions not exceeding 0.5% of weekly earnings (capped at the Social Security contribution base), with weekly compensation at 100% of earnings up to $1,000.

Begins collecting contributions on July 1, 2020, and starts providing compensation to covered employees on July 1, 2021; employees must have earned at least $2,325 during their highest earning quarter in the prior five quarters to be eligible.

Expands the definition of family members eligible for leave to include siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and individuals with close family-like associations; reduces employer size threshold from 75 to 2 employees and reduces employment tenure requirement from 12 months to 6 months.

Authorizes $20 million in state bonds ($10 million each for fiscal years 2019 and 2020) to fund startup costs for the program; includes Labor Commissioner reporting requirements and regulations to be adopted by July 1, 2020.