TRENTON – Senator Barbara Buono today said the paid family leave bill she is co-prime sponsoring in the Senate is critically needed to help working parents care for newborn and newly adopted children.
TRENTON – Senator Barbara Buono today said the paid family leave bill she is co-prime sponsoring in the Senate is critically needed to help working parents care for newborn and newly adopted children.
“When all is said and done, this bill is really about protecting families who are just trying to make ends meet,” said Senator Buono, D-Middlesex, and herself a mother of four children.
The paid family leave bill, S-2249, would extend Temporary Disability Insurance for up to 10 weeks to care for sick family members, newborn and newly adopted children. In testimony before the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today, it was pointed out that in California – the only state which has paid family leave now – 85 percent of the benefits were for newly born and adopted children of workers.
“This bill will ensure that family friendly businesses encourage and enable their workers to get the time they need to care for their children,” said Senator Buono, D-Middlesex.
Senator Buono said it was “grossly disingenuous” for opponents to suggest enactment of the bill will discourage job growth and economic development and be a burden to taxpayers.
“The staggering growth of the corporation business tax is the real proof that New Jersey’s economy is very alive and growing,” said Senator Buono. “Workers are overwhelmingly in favor of this and they are willing to pay for it.”
The fund to extend the benefits to workers would be created by a .1 percent contribution from workers to provide them two-thirds of their weekly salary up to $488.
Senator Buono is co-prime sponsoring the measure with Senator Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Salem and Cumberland.
The Senate Budget and Appropriations panel approved the measure by an 8-6 vote and forwarded it to the full Senate for approval.
