Richmond, Virginia—Young families struggling with the high cost of living and the absence of any federally-backed paid leave may be one step closer to relief today. HB 737, sponsored by Delegate Briana Sewell, passed out of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #2 and will now be sent to the House Committee on Appropriations. The bill would provide twelve weeks of paid family and medical leave to workers in our community. 

The US is one of only six countries with no federal paid family leave and one of only 11 countries with no paid medical leave, and employers have not stepped in to fill in the gaps: right now, 76% of Virginians have no guarantee that they won’t miss a paycheck if they get sick or take a few weeks off after the birth of a child. Even the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which allows for unpaid leave but does nothing to help ameliorate a family’s costs, only applies to 39% of Virginians. The rest are left to fend for themselves, with often disastrous long-term consequences for everything from pediatric health outcomes to poverty rates among senior women. 

“We are thrilled to see Paid Family and Medical Leave finally take a step towards becoming a reality,” said LaTwyla Mathias, Executive Director at Progress Virginia. “We know that paid family and medical leave is absolutely critical for a healthy economy. More importantly, we know that it’s a justice issue: it helps level the playing field for the Black and Brown women who too often shoulder the burden of care at the expense of their own physical and financial health. We look forward to a day when everyone is able to take the time they need to care for themselves and their families, and we will keep pressing to make sure this bill is passed into law.”

BACKGROUND: 

• HB 737 passed by a margin of 4-3. It will now go to the House Committee on Appropriations for a vote. 
• Younger Americans increasingly struggle with the high cost of living: housing prices have increased a whopping 121% since the 1960s, and more than half of 18 to 39-year-olds are paying more than 30% of their income on rent (with the impact being felt hardest by Gen Z.)
• Because caregiving responsibilities fall disproportionately on women, and because of the reality of the gender pay gap, more women than men are forced to leave the workforce because of caregiving responsibilities.
• Racial disparities in wealth are exacerbated by a lack of access to paid family and medical leave.
• Black birthing people face significantly higher maternal mortality rates and higher rates of postpartum complications than their white counterparts, making paid leave an even more critical issue. 
• HB 737 establishes a new pooled paid family and medical leave fund. 
• The fund would be initially financed by a loan from the General Fund, but repayment of that loan and funding in perpetuity would come from small contributions from employers and employees. 
• For an employee earning $50,000 per year, the employer and employee would each pay an estimated $4.57 per week ($237.50 per year).  
• An employee utilizing the fund would be eligible for an 80% wage replacement for up to 12 weeks.