S.F. No. 3258 Summary

• Creates a family and medical leave benefit insurance program administered by the Department of Employment and Economic Development, providing paid leave benefits for medical conditions, pregnancy, family care, and bonding with newborns or newly adopted children.

• Establishes payroll taxes on employers and employees beginning January 1, 2020, with initial rates of 0% (2017), 0.05% (2018), and 0.1% (2019), increasing to 0.27% for employers participating in both programs and 0.24% or 0.03% for partial participation.

• Provides up to 12 weeks of benefits per 52-week period for each category of qualifying leave, with weekly benefit amounts ranging from 55% to 80% of average weekly wages depending on income level, capped at the state's average weekly wage.

• Allows employers to opt out of one or both programs if they offer comparable private plans approved by the commissioner, and permits self-employed individuals to voluntarily elect coverage.

• Includes employment protections prohibiting retaliation and requiring job restoration upon leave expiration, along with fraud penalties for applicants and employers and administrative provisions for application processing and appeals.