[1] NOTE:  As provided in LFC policy, this report is intended only for use by the standing finance committees of the legislature.  The Legislative Finance Committee does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this report when used in any other situation.

 

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F I S C A L   I M P A C T   R E P O R T

 

 

 

SPONSOR:

Feldman

 

DATE TYPED:

02/06/02

 

HB

 

 

SHORT TITLE:

Paid Family and Medical Leave Study

 

SB

SJM 52

 

 

ANALYST:

Kehoe

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY02

FY03

FY02

FY03

 

 

 

 

 

See Narrative

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

 

Duplicates/Relates to Appropriation in The General Appropriation Act                                         

 

Duplicates            House Joint Memorial 51                                                              

                                                                                                                                                           

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)

LFC Files

 

SUMMARY

 

     Synopsis of Bill

 

Senate Joint Memorial 52 requests the Commission on the Status of Women to lead a study on the costs and benefits of paid family and medical leave and to report its finding to the Legislative Health and Human Services Interim Committee in October 2002.

 

     Significant Issues

 

Congress passed the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in 1993 to provide a national policy supporting families in their need to balance the demands of home and the workplace.  The law requires employers with 50 employees or more to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave a year to eligible employees to care for a newborn, newly-adopted or foster child, a child, spouse or parent with a serious health condition, or for the serious health condition of the employee, including maternity-related disability.  Employees are eligible to take leave if they have worked for a covered employer for at least one year, and for 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months, and if there are at least 50 employees working for their employer within a 75-mile radius of their worksite.

 

Senate Joint Memorial 52 requests the Commission on the Status of Women to lead a study on the cost and benefits of “paid” family and medical leave. 

 

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

 

Senate Joint Memorial 52 does not contain an appropriation.  However, directing CSW to conduct a study on the costs and benefits of paid family and medical leave will have a tremendous impact on the agency--both fiscally and administratively.  The agency is comprised of only 7 FTE and would have to contract for professional services to conduct and prepare a final report of the study.  The FY03 proposed budget includes $9.0 in the contractual services category.  CSW’s estimated costs for the study, excluding personnel, would be approximately $10.0 in fiscal years 02-03—a significant impact on a small agency.    

 

CONFLICT/DUPLICATION/COMPANIONSHIP/RELATIONSHIP

 

 House Joint Memorial 51 duplicates Senate Joint Memorial 52 in its entirety.

 

LMK/njw

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