HI HB1409

Extends family leave entitlement by up to 8 weeks for employees unable to work due to birth of a child requiring neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay, provided the employee provides kangaroo care or expresses breast milk during the extended leave period.

Allows extended family leave to begin on the date the child is discharged from the NICU, rather than at birth, and specifies this additional leave does not count toward the 4-week annual family leave limit.

Modifies Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 398-4 to clarify that employers are not required to provide paid family leave, and that leave beyond any employer-provided paid leave period may be unpaid.

Requires the Civil Rights Commission to amend administrative rules to include neonatal care as a "related medical condition" in anti-discrimination provisions referencing pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.

Effective date: June 30, 2032.