HB 1768 Summary

• 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 meeting hourly qualifications, eliminating the previous 100-employee threshold requirement.

• Provides family leave insurance benefits funded through employer and employee contributions based on average weekly wage and temporary disability insurance rates for birth, adoption, foster placement, serious health conditions, military service, and qualifying exigencies.

• Establishes a family leave insurance fund financed by contributions and interest, with weekly benefit amounts calculated as 90% of wages for lower-income workers, 75% for middle-income workers, and 50% for higher-income workers (capped at state average weekly wage).

• Allows self-employed persons to elect coverage with minimum three-year initial commitment, requires employers to maintain employee positions during leave, and prohibits retaliation for taking family leave; effective July 1, 2024.