HOUSE MEMORIAL 2

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015

INTRODUCED BY

Gail Chasey

FOR THE LEGISLATIVE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO'S BUREAU OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH TO CONVENE A PARENTAL PAID-LEAVE WORKING GROUP TO MAKE FINDINGS AND DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PUBLICLY MANAGED PARENTING WORKERS' LEAVE FUND.

     WHEREAS, the first months of life have a lifelong impact on the development of human beings; and

     WHEREAS, an essential factor in healthy development of a baby's cognitive, social and emotional development is the amount of focused attention that the baby's caregiver provides in the first months of the baby's life; and

     WHEREAS, increased parental attention during a child's first few months can reduce childhood illnesses and infant mortality, which in turn lowers the health and human service expenditures in the wider society; and

     WHEREAS, experts advise that babies at risk for developmental difficulties such as illness, birth defects, low birth weight or premature birth are especially in need of adequate time with their parents; and

     WHEREAS, parents with well-nurtured children miss less time from work to care for sick or disabled children; and

     WHEREAS, for over a decade, the state of California has implemented a parental-leave program that pays parents benefits through the state's social disability insurance program; and

     WHEREAS, the state of California has seen an increase in low-wage job retention for workers who have made use of the state's parental paid-leave program; and

     WHEREAS, eighty-seven percent of businesses in California have seen no increased costs as a result of that state's parental paid-leave policy; and

     WHEREAS, New Jersey employers report that businesses have experienced no increase in administrative costs associated with the state's parental paid-leave program; and

     WHEREAS, the Harvard Business Review reports that most companies with parental paid-leave policies experience stronger employee loyalty and morale; and

     WHEREAS, a state-sponsored parental paid-leave policy allows smaller businesses to compete with larger businesses that might otherwise attract the best employees with parental paid leave; and

     WHEREAS, the state of New Mexico has a strong interest in supporting strong, healthy families where young New Mexicans may develop into peaceful, productive and law-abiding residents;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the university of New Mexico's bureau of business and economic research be requested to convene a parental paid-leave working group of experts in child and family development, business, law and public finance and administration, including:

          A. the state investment council;

          B. the children, youth and families department;

          C. the workforce solutions department;

          D. the taxation and revenue department;

          E. New Mexico voices for children;

          F. New Mexico chambers of commerce;

          G. the southwest women's law center;

          H. the New Mexico pediatric society;

          I. New Mexico women's agenda;

          J. the New Mexico center on law and poverty; and

          K. collective action strategies, incorporated; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the parental paid-leave working group be requested to develop recommendations for the establishment of a parental paid-leave program to provide paid leave to parents for childbirth and to care for newborn or newly adopted children or for newly acquired foster children; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the parental paid-leave working group be requested to make findings and develop recommendations for the establishment of a publicly managed parenting workers' leave fund to allow private and public employees and employers to make contributions to the fund to enable employees to earn up to eighty percent of their regular pay for a period of up to twelve consecutive weeks; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the parental paid-leave working group develop recommendations as to choosing a state agency to manage the parental paid-leave program and the parenting workers' leave fund; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the parental paid-leave working group be requested to present its findings and recommendations to the legislative health and human services committee and the legislative finance committee by October 1, 2016; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to:

          A. the governor;

          B. the secretary of children, youth and families;

          C. the secretary of workforce solutions;

          D. the secretary of taxation and revenue;

          E. the state investment officer;

          F. the president of the university of New Mexico;

          G. the director of the bureau of business and economic research at the university of New Mexico;

          H. legislative health and human services committee staff;

          I. legislative finance committee staff; and

          J. the executive directors of:

                (1) New Mexico voices for children;

                (2) New Mexico chambers of commerce;

                (3) the southwest women's law center;

                (4) the New Mexico pediatric society;

                (5) New Mexico women's agenda;

                (6) the New Mexico center on law and poverty; and

                (7) collective action strategies, incorporated.

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