Paid Leave: Passed in Senate, Dead in the House

BOSTON, MA—A bill ensuring paid family and medical leave in Massachusetts passed the Senate in a last-minute vote this weekend, but couldn't beat the clock Sunday in the House.

That kills the bill, at least for this session.

Legislators met for a marathon weekend series of voting and conference committee haggling this Saturday, which kicked into high gear as the hours remaining in the legislative calendar ticked down to zero Sunday.

The Massachusetts Senate on Saturday passed the Paid Leave bill, which institutes a system for paid, job-protected leave for employees who need to take time off, whether that be to recover from their own serious health condition or to care for a new child or ailing family member.

In the Senate version, the bill requires employers to offer employees up to 16 weeks of paid leave for family care and up to 26 weeks for temporary disability leave. Employees would be eligible for benefits after 1,250 hours of service for the employer, the current federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) standard.

If passed, it would make Massachusetts the fifth state to require employers provide paid family and medical leave.

However, at the time of this article's publication, the bill appears to be defunct, as far as this session is concerned. Senators passed it Saturday but representatives in the House looked unlikely to take it up, as of 9:45 p.m. Sunday.