Miami Senator Files Family Leave Bill
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) - A Senate Democrat has proposed a bill that would require employers to allow six weeks of paid family leave for workers after children are born or adopted.
The bill, filed by Sen. Dwight Bullard of Miami, will be considered during the 2016 legislative session and, if approved, would take effect Jan.1, 2017.
"The Legislature finds that it is in the public interest to provide paid family care leave to workers for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a new child,'' according to the bill. "The need for paid family care leave has increased as the participation of both parents in the workforce has increased and the number of single parents has grown. Despite knowledge of the importance of time spent bonding with a new child, the majority of workers in this state are unable to take family care leave because they are unable to afford leave without pay."
Bullard earlier filed legislation that would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.