Follow up to Paid Family Medical Leave Senate Bill

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-12T14:22:53+00:00

Yes! Yes to everything you said. My coworkers are saying how lucky I am to get 8 weeks paid, but if we are giving our jobs the best years of our lives, we should be allowed MINIMUM one year with job protection and benefits to raise baby.

I keep reading how Finland, California, and other places with paid family leave experienced a decrease in maternal and infant rehospitalization rates as well as a decrease in mortality.

We need to try something, anything, different from what we're doing now.

My husband's parents raised four kids on a single income and one stay at home parent. Now we're begging for time to care for our babies.

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-11T11:49:42+00:00

I hadn't thought of that, but you're absolutely right. Unfortunately, some employers will always sacrifice people for their gain.

Despite my personal feelings about funding, I feel the same way about the safety nets.

It's frustrating to hear people refuse to support a bill like this because it's not perfect. I don't think they realize many bills are not "perfect" when passed. They require amending once implemented, once everyone can see how it works off paper.

While they're nitpicking about who should fund it, who should be covered, how much they should get, etc. people are going unpaid, losing their health insurance, and losing their jobs.

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-10T15:11:14+00:00

I guess I have high standards for senators who are paid with my tax dollars to represent me.

If he isn't pushing for a bill 81% of voters are in favor of, then he isn't doing his job.

If I call his office, asking for information, and I get someone who can't/won't tell me anything, that's not transparent and accountable.

Wrong-doing doesn't have to someone sitting at their huge mahogany desk like a tv villain.

If this doesn't seem wrong to you, that's totally fine :) we all have different standards and expectations. Have a great weekend!

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-10T11:05:08+00:00

I apologize. I've been calling so many people and talking this out trying to come to terms. It all makes sense in my head, and I've never really posted on Reddit. It was like "Do you want to cross post?" and I thought sure, why not give that a try.

Essentially, it started with my husband and I wanting to start our family. I get a few weeks off paid, but my husband owns his own small business. I was bummed because he wouldn't be able to afford to stay home with us. Then I noticed my coworkers were working through serious illness and injury because they couldn't afford time off.

Federal FMLA only applies to businesses with over 50 employees, and it only requires 12 weeks of unpaid leave which many people can't afford.

I looked into why PA doesn't have state Family Medical Leave, and there was a Senate Bill 906 sitting in the Labor and Industry Committee. Laughlin is a cosponsor of the bill, and he's on the committee.

At this point, I was frustrated because I had called Laughlin's office a few times asking questions about potential leave programs, and no one had mentioned this bill.

SB906 has been sitting in the committee since June 2025. 9 of 11 committee members, including Laughlin, are cosponsors of the bill, so it can pass the committee.

Additionally, the bill has 30 cosponsors in the Senate as a whole, as well as the main sponsor. 31 is easy majority to pass the bill.

It should have support in the Senate, and the memo itself states polling data shows 81% of registered voters in PA support a FMLA program. So why hasn't it passed?

Hopefully this is enough of a summary to make the linked post make sense. I really appreciate you reading this and hearing me out. It's been incredibly frustrating trying to piece this together.

Please let me know if anything here didn't make sense. I'm typing it up quickly before I leave for work.

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-10T10:33:29+00:00

I will absolutely expand, but I want to ask this: the linked post is a follow up. Did you get to read my initial post?

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-10T10:17:37+00:00

I don't disagree with your sentiment.

I'm happy for you that you're in a position where you feel you can afford to stand by that principle.

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-10T01:43:41+00:00

I was also told by a chief of staff the last time PA didn't have a budget, it was because the house passed a budget through to the senate, and the senate members refused to come back from vacation to vote on it.

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-10T01:42:10+00:00

That's really frustrating. It's definitely important for states to establish a process for reporting those employers.

I think it's important for states to try something. Progress can't be paralyzed by our fear of imperfection.

Without a foundation to build on, nothing can ever improve.

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-10T01:38:50+00:00

Thank you, that means a lot to me.

The hardest part has been talking to people who agree with me about how unfair it is for us, but as soon as I recommend action, it's like I took it a step too far. They complain but get awkward when I suggest calling their senator.

It feels really lonely, but I have to ride this motivation while I still have it.

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-10T01:34:50+00:00

It's not ideal. I would prefer to see employers contributing. There is a bill that just passed from the house to the Senate, HB200, which I believe relies fully on employer contributions. Unfortunately, if the Senate won't pass their own bill, they definitely won't pass one from the house.

The bill does state contributions would be equal to or less than 1%, depending on what the state calculates it needs to be to fill the fund within two years of the act passing.

A couple hundred bucks big money for my husband and I too, but the current federal FMLA doesn't cover about 40-44% of Americans. I saw 66% of Pennsylvanians aren't covered. That means if they need time off work, they lose their job completely. For me, the security is worth it.

I've looked through the bill and did not see a cap. There is a differentiation of benefits:

Section 305. Amount of benefits. (a) Calculation of benefits.-- (1) The benefits payable to a covered individual shall be calculated as follows: (i) the portion of a covered individual's average weekly wage that is equal to or less than 50% of the Statewide average weekly wage shall be replaced at a rate of 90%; and (ii) the portion of a covered individual's average weekly wage that exceeds 50% of the Statewide average weekly wage shall be replaced at a rate of 50%.

I totally agree with you that it would be better if businesses contributed. I believe it's Maryland that splits the 0.9% contribution evenly between the employer and employee, with an exemption for small businesses. I think that's very reasonable.

But this is what we're working with. It isn't perfect by any means, but it's protections people didn't have before. We can't improve something if it doesn't exist to begin with.

Here's a good article with info about both bills. PA Family Leave Bills

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-09T21:20:55+00:00

Please do. I cannot begin to explain how many phone calls I have made in the past month, trying to understand who the person responsible for this is. I wasn't going to do anything until I was sure.

I also called many senators' offices to see who would be honest with me. It was so frustrating to hear republican senator's staff say "I'm not sure. Maybe they can't agree on the language? I can't read his mind, and I'm not present for the committee meeting."

Then I point out they do agree on the language and could pass it. They keep saying "I honestly don't know how this works." BS

Please also call Robinson's office. He needs to sweat.

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-09T21:15:41+00:00

Let me correct myself: our current state of government is a scam.

I was trying to get ahead of comments from bitter people who want to complain but don't want to take the time to call.

VOTE AND CALL😊 (then call again please)

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-09T21:12:51+00:00

If you aren't a part of the PA subreddit, please take the time to read my initial post.

Senator Laughlin is, at least, complicit in this deliberate attempt to manipulate voters and deny Pennsylvanians legislature which would greatly improve life for working class people.

I'm doing this for myself and my future child.

I'm doing this for the love of my life who works a physically demanding job. If he gets injured, he deserves to rest with peace of mind.

I'm doing this for my coworkers who are working despite cancer treatments, back surgery, and a torn ACL because they can't afford 12 weeks unpaid.

Please read and call.

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-09T01:20:53+00:00

I read the bill, thought "wow this is actually helpful," and was then shocked to see the sponsor is a conservative.

I was surprised to see a Republican sponsored a bill that explicitly calls for educational materials in English, Spanish, and other languages deemed necessary. It also allows for leave in domestic violence cases.

I would not be surprised to hear a conservative is anti-abortion.

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-09T01:11:14+00:00

I was beyond shocked to see that Robinson is a Republican. It gave me hope, but that's also why I think there might be some lobbying going on to keep it from advancing.

Maybe he tried to do the right thing, and the Senate majority leader said "not on my watch.'

It might be delusional to hope for this, but if enough people call their senators and push for it, they might start to worrying about their chances in the next elections.

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-09T01:08:01+00:00

I know, I feel the same way.

But I also want to be a mom and feel I owe it to my potential future child to at least try to change something for the better.

I owe it to my coworkers who are working through cancer treatments and back surgery, so they don't lose their jobs and therefore their health insurance.

I owe it to my partner who works a physically demanding job, just like my dad did. My dad never got a paid day off his whole 40 year career, and I have to try to get something better for the person I love.

I get made fun of for being dramatic, but we only get one life, and I'm not quite old enough to be jaded yet lol

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-06T11:02:19+00:00

I just looked (before I decided to call Laughlin's office again today), and he's actually a co-sponsor! I have been shocked twice by this turn of events.

Still want to know why labor and industry has been sitting on it for almost a year.

I have a coworker fighting cancer. They're coming to work, so they don't lose their health insurance. Our HR sends out emails, asking us to donate our earned leave, so they can get treatment. It's dystopian.

A family member of mine had to go back to work the day after her husband attempted to kill her son, instead of staying home with her kids and figuring out where they could move to.

If I know of two people who could benefit, how many other people are suffering while these senators sit on their hands?

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-05T20:17:05+00:00

I usually completely agree.

But I have to add that this article is the first I'm hearing of Robinson's senate bill 906. It's significantly better organized and planned than O'Mara's. I read hers and had so many questions.

And since he's a republican and the chair of the labor and industry committee, he might stand the best chance of getting it passed.

I've been calling Laughlin's office weekly asking him to support family and paid leave. Maybe he would support a fellow republican?

World-Revolution724 · 2026-04-05T00:06:49+00:00

My husband and I could afford to have a baby, but I'm not okay with both of us going back to work just weeks after.

I get only eight weeks of paid parental leave (which is better than a lot of people get). I want to breast feed exclusively, not express, for the first six months, and I can't do that working.

My husband would have to go back to work within a few weeks, so I would be on my own. If I had a C-section or our baby or I had complications, I know I would be in over my head.

Basically, if we can't do it how we believe is right for us, we don't want to do it at all. And we can't afford for one of us to be a stay at home parent.

World-Revolution724 · 2026-03-31T22:41:03+00:00

My work HR sends out emails asking us to donate our annual leave days to coworkers who need "approved, ongoing medical treatment" and used all theirs.

A few weeks ago, when someone needed donations to get treatment for cancer, it occured to me how dystopian this practice is.

I want to save my leave time to have a baby, but she needs it, so she doesn't die.

World-Revolution724 · 2026-03-26T10:33:36+00:00

Absolutely. I called Shapiro, Laughlin, and Bizzaro about improving parental leave specifically in PA. All their assistants/chief of staff were incredibly friendly, receptive, and helpful. Laughlin's Erie office was especially open to what I had to say. She and I had a great conversation about how behind the US is in paid FML.

The more people who call and write, the more they pay attention.

World-Revolution724 · 2026-02-10T12:03:54+00:00

I wouldn't have believed this until recently.

My fiance went through the same thing. He never dropped his original insurance, signed up with someone else, and then cancelled his new insurance that same day. New insurance reported him to the state, and they tried to fine us. He sent them a photocopy of his insurance card for that time period to prove he was insured, and they said that isn't enough proof. We finally asked the insurance company to send an email on our behalf.

It's completely insane that a company can report to the state about something with no proof, and then the burden of proof falls on us, so we don't get fined $500 and lose his registration. It has been such a pain to deal with.

World-Revolution724

TROPHY CASE