On January 27, Small Business Majority Public Policy Director Awesta Sarkash testified before the New Mexico House Health & Human Services Committee in support of HB 11 “Paid Family and Medical Leave Act," which would create a state-run paid family and medical leave program in New Mexico.
On January 23, Small Business Majority Public Policy Director Awesta Sarkash sent a letter to Virginia House Labor and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Jeion A. Ward in support of HB 2531, paid family and medical leave insurance program; notice requirements, civil action. This legislation would create a state-run paid family and medical leave program in Virginia.
On January 10th, Small Business Majority submitted a letter to the House Paid Leave Working Group, providing feedback and recommendations on two recent discussion drafts—the Paid Family Leave Public-Private Partnerships Act and the Interstate Paid Leave Action Network (I-PLAN) Act—designed to expand nationwide access to paid family and medical leave.
Small business owners know it makes good business sense to care for their employees, and they also genuinely care for the people who work for them. However, they often struggle to provide key benefits, including paid family and medical leave, which they believe would help them recruit and retain their workers. A new national scientific opinion poll conducted for Small Business Majority and the National Partnership for Women & Families by Lake Research Partners found that 79% of small business owners support the creation of a national paid family and medical leave program that would guarantee employees wage replacement for up to 12 weeks, funded by 0.5% employer and employee contributions each.
Today, Public Policy Director, Awesta Sarkash, submitted a letter of support for SB 580, The Family Care Act. SB 580 would create a paid family and medical leave insurance fund in Pennsylvania. This program would allow small business owners to access and offer this benefit to their employees, helping them overcome challenges in the workforce.
On March 20, Small Business Majority's Colorado Director Lindsey Vigoda testified before the Colorado House Business Affairs and Labor Committee on SB 24-155. In particular, this legislation will help streamline benefit reimbursements between the Colorado Paid Family and Medical Leave (FAMLI) program and worker’s compensation benefits, ensuring small business owners and their employees are able to accurately access the benefits available to them.
On January 31, Small Business Majority Founder and CEO John Arensmeyer submitted a Request for Information response to the bicameral, bipartisan Congressional working group exploring actions to expand access to paid leave for all Americans. Our response includes detailed information about how access to paid family and medical leave impacts small businesses nationwide and our comments on the proposal of establishing a federal paid family and medical leave program.
Today, Public Policy Director, Awesta Sarkash, submitted written testimony in support of HB 737, Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program in Virginia. Ahead of the House Labor and Commerce Committee hearing, Awesta underscored the need for a state-run leave program, which would allow small businesses to offer a modernized and robust benefits package to their employees.
On January 24, Public Policy Director Awesta Sarkash testified in front of the New Mexico House Health and Human Services Committee in support of HB 6, which would create a state-run paid family and medical leave program.
Small business owners know it makes good business sense to care for their employees as this is crucial to hiring and retaining a skilled workforce. However, many small employers struggle to provide benefits like paid family and medical leave, putting them at a disadvantage when competing for talent with large corporations that can afford to offer robust benefits on their own. As state policymakers consider a number of proposals for the 2024 legislative session, a new opinion poll reveals that small businesses support a state-administered paid family and medical leave insurance program in New Mexico.
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