Last week, Tom Perez, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Jennifer Klein, Assistant to the President and Director of the Gender Policy Council, convened state leaders to discuss legislative efforts to pass paid family and medical leave for workers as well as to learn from states that have implemented successful programs.
During the convening, leaders from states with paid family and medical leave programs and states with proposed paid leave legislation spoke with White House officials about their advocacy and work implementing these programs. White House officials thanked the legislators for their leadership in paving the way on this important issue and highlighted the Administration’s continued commitment to this work.
This convening comes as the Administration marks “Month of Action on Care” in April, which the President designated Care Workers Recognition Month last year when he signed the historic Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers. It also follows the release of President Biden’s FY 2025 Budget, which proposes a national, comprehensive paid family and medical leave program to ensure that all workers can take the time they need to bond with a new child; care for a seriously ill loved one; heal from their own serious illness; address circumstances arising from a loved one’s military deployment; find safety from domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking; or grieve the death of a loved one. The Administration applauds the thirteen states and the District of Columbia that have passed paid leave laws, and continues to call for a national paid family and medical leave program.
Participating state leaders included:
- New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development Director of Strategic Outreach and Partnerships Holly Low
- Hawaii Senate President Ronald Kouchi
- Hawaii State Representative Scot Matayoshi
- Maine State Senator Mattie Daughtry
- Maine State Representative Kristen Cloutier
- Michigan State Representative Jasper Martus
- Minnesota State Senator Erin Maye Quade
- New Mexico State Representative Linda Serrato
- New Mexico State Representative Patricia Roybal Caballero
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