H.B. 166 Summary

• Establishes a paid family leave program for Hawaii state and county employees, effective January 1, 2024

• Qualified employees (those with 1,250+ hours of service over 12+ months) are entitled to 12 weeks of paid leave within any 12-month period for: birth or adoption/foster placement of a child, or care for a spouse, reciprocal beneficiary, child, grandchild, parent, or sibling with a serious health condition

• Employees must agree in writing to work for the employer for at least 12 weeks after returning from paid family leave, with limited exceptions for serious health conditions

• Employees may use the 12 weeks of paid family leave or, in addition to it, any accrued leave; unpaid family leave cannot be carried over to subsequent years

• Employers may require medical certification for leave taken to care for a family member with a serious health condition and can require temporary position transfers for intermittent or reduced-schedule leave related to planned medical treatment