State Senator Dan Laughlin hosted a roundtable discussion today (October 8) at the Pennsylvania Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home in Erie on his Family Care Act legislation.
Senator Laughlin’s bill, Senate Bill 580, would establish a statewide Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program. Under the program working individuals would make small contributions from their weekly earnings to the leave program, which would be administered by the Department of Labor & Industry.
Workers could then use the fund to care for themselves or a close family member in the event of a serious health condition, to care for a new child, or to care for a member of the military in qualifying circumstances. Leave benefits would be calculated on a graduated scale to make sure the program is accessible to all workers, regardless of how much they earn.
Panelists at Tuesday’s discussion included: Ben Stahl, Chief Executive Officer, Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania; Heather McLaughlin, Program Manager, UPMC Home Healthcare and Family Hospice; Matthew White, Founder and Managing Director of Whitethorn Digital; and Jill Hrinda-Patten, Executive Director, Mission Empowerment.
“We had a great conversation about the Family Care Act and I appreciate the opinions and expertise offered by everyone who participated in the roundtable discussion,” Senator Laughlin said. “They made it clear that a basic ‘safety net’ is needed to provide financial stability for families in times of crisis.”
Contact: Matt Azeles mazeles@pasen.gov