Paid Leave Expansion Returns to Newsom’s Desk After 2021 Veto

California is poised to boost its paid family and medical leave benefits to make using the program more accessible for people with low-wage jobs, or else revert to the lowest benefit levels of any state-run paid leave program.

If Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signs a bill waiting on his desk, the measure would increase benefits to replace 90% of low-wage workers’ income during qualifying weeks of leave starting in 2025, and a smaller percentage for higher-income workers. But increasing the benefits as prescribed in the legislation (SB 951) will cost an estimated $3 billion to $4 billion annually ...