HB 2219 Summary

• Establishes a family leave insurance program administered by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to provide paid family leave benefits to eligible employees.

• Expands family leave entitlement from 4 weeks to 16 weeks per calendar year for employees, covering care for newborns, adoption, foster placement, family members with serious health conditions, and qualifying military exigencies.

• Creates a Family Leave Insurance Fund financed by employer and employee contributions based on temporary disability insurance rates, with weekly benefits ranging from 50-90% of average weekly wage depending on income level, capped at $1,000 per week.

• Extends coverage to all employers with one or more employees (reduced from 100+ employees) and allows self-employed individuals to elect coverage for minimum three-year periods.

• Appropriates $300,000 for fiscal year 2020-2021 to hire administrative staff for fund management and requires the department to report program participation and fund status to the legislature.