Those that follow AWC’s Legislative Bulletin know that several important bills for the Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) program have seen action in the Legislature already. AWC is tracking these bills as they make their way through the lawmaking process.

PFML premiums

SB 5286 changes the way that PFML premiums are calculated, raising the premium’s cap to 1.2%, and creating a reserve fund, all in an effort to get out of the regular cash shortfalls that were hitting the program every quarter for much of the last year. You can read more about the details of the bill in our Legislative Bulletin article from mid-January.

The bill received a minor amendment in the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee to reflect that it adopts the “unanimous recommendations” of the PFML Insurance Premiums Task Force. It passed out of the Senate unanimously on February 1, and is now waiting for a hearing in the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee.

PFML claims data

SB 5586 is a long-awaited response to employer requests for more information from the Employment Security Department about employees’ claims. The bill lets ESD share certain records on an employee’s PFML claim with “interested parties,” including: the type of leave taken, approved dates/duration of leave, the employee’s remaining hours of leave left, their weekly benefit amount, and actual benefits paid/hours claimed. You can read more about the bill in the Legislative Bulletin here.

The bill had a hearing in the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee on February 2 and was voted out of committee on February 7 with a minor amendment clarifying that “interested parties” include employers. It is now waiting to be scheduled for a vote on the Senate floor.