ST. PAUL, MN — Minnesota lawmakers have passed a revised version of a bill that provides paid family and medical leave for workers statewide.
The bill would create an insurance-like system that would allow workers to collect up to 12 weeks of partial pay for medical leave, including pregnancy, and to care for family members.
The Conference Committee’s report was passed 68-62.
House Speaker Melissa Hortman said, “All Minnesotans should be able to take paid time off to take care of themselves and their loved ones.” “Too many Minnesotans have to choose between a paycheck and caring for a new baby, an aging parent, or themselves. We are committed to providing financial security.”
Both houses of parliament passed a paid vacation bill at the beginning of the session, but some differences had to be resolved in committee.
Eleven other states and the District of Columbia already have similar programs, but Minnesota is considered one of the most generous.
Lead author Alice Mann, a Democratic senator from Edina, said the United States was the only developed country without such a program. Data from states with paid leave programs show that paid leave programs are associated with better maternal and child health, greater financial security for families, higher employee retention rates, and less reliance on government assistance. It has been shown to connect, Mann said.
He said only 24% of Minnesota workers currently have paid time off, and the “majority” are high-income earners in the state. Only 6% of minimum wage workers, mostly women and people of color, get paid time off, she said.