Yesterday, Jennifer Klein, Assistant to the President and Director of the Gender Policy Council, and Tom Perez, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, convened agency partners and administrators of state paid family and medical leave programs for a discussion. Participating administrators represented Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington state, and Washington, D.C.

Earlier this year, the President released his 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.

During the meeting, Administration officials underscored the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing commitment to pursuing a national paid family and medical leave program, while supporting the leadership and efforts of state programs paving the way—implementing programs that uplift families, our economy, and the fight for paid leave at the national level. Representatives from the Department of Treasury announced that the agency is working on guidance on the tax treatment of state paid family and medical leave programs that would provide greater clarity to existing and future programs.

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