H.B. 1658 - Family Leave Insurance Program

• Establishes a family leave insurance program administered by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations providing up to 16 weeks of paid family leave per calendar year (increased from 4 weeks).

• Expands coverage to all employers with one or more employees, eliminating the previous 100-employee threshold requirement.

• Creates a family leave insurance fund financed through employer and employee contributions based on average weekly wages; weekly benefit amounts range from 50-90% of wages depending on income level, capped at state average weekly wage.

• Allows eligibility for benefits to cover childbirth/adoption, caring for family members with serious health conditions, qualifying military service-related exigencies, domestic abuse/sexual assault situations, and personal disability from non-work-related causes.

• Permits self-employed individuals to voluntarily elect coverage for minimum three-year initial periods and requires department to report program participation and fund balances annually to the legislature beginning in 2025.