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A08465 Summary:

BILL NOA08465
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORForrest
 
COSPNSR
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Amd §§204 & 205, Work Comp L
 
Increases the amount of family leave time that may be taken in a year.
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A08465 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          8465
 
                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    December 29, 2023
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by M. of A. FORREST -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Labor
 
        AN ACT to amend the workers' compensation law, in relation to the  maxi-
          mum amount of family leave time
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 204 of the  work-
     2  ers' compensation law, as added by section 5 of part SS of chapter 54 of
     3  the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
     4    (a)  The  weekly  benefit for family leave that occurs (i) on or after
     5  January first, two thousand eighteen shall not exceed eight weeks during
     6  any fifty-two week calendar period and shall be  fifty  percent  of  the
     7  employee's average weekly wage but shall not exceed fifty percent of the
     8  state  average weekly wage, (ii) on or after January first, two thousand
     9  nineteen shall not exceed ten weeks during any fifty-two  week  calendar
    10  period  and shall be fifty-five percent of the employee's average weekly
    11  wage but shall not exceed fifty-five percent of the state average weekly
    12  wage, (iii) on or after January first, two  thousand  twenty  shall  not
    13  exceed  ten weeks during any fifty-two week calendar period and shall be
    14  sixty percent of the employee's average weekly wage but shall not exceed
    15  sixty percent of the state average weekly wage, and  (iv)  on  or  after
    16  January  first  of each succeeding year, shall not exceed [twelve] twen-
    17  ty-six weeks during any fifty-two week  calendar  period  and  shall  be
    18  [sixty-seven]  one hundred percent of the employee's average weekly wage
    19  but shall not exceed [sixty-seven] eighty percent of the New York  state
    20  average weekly wage in effect.  The superintendent of financial services
    21  shall have discretion to delay the increases in the family leave benefit
    22  level  provided in subparagraphs (ii), (iii), and (iv) of this paragraph
    23  by one or more calendar years.  In  determining  whether  to  delay  the
    24  increase in the family leave benefit for any year, the superintendent of
    25  financial  services shall consider: (1) the current cost to employees of
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13722-01-3

        A. 8465                             2
 
     1  the family leave benefit and any expected change in the cost  after  the
     2  benefit  increase;  (2) the current number of insurers issuing insurance
     3  policies with a family leave benefit and  any  expected  change  in  the
     4  number of insurers issuing such policies after the benefit increase; (3)
     5  the  impact of the benefit increase on employers' business and the over-
     6  all stability of the program to the extent that information  is  readily
     7  available;  (4)  the  impact  of  the  benefit increase on the financial
     8  stability of the disability and family leave insurance market and carri-
     9  ers; and (5) any additional factors that the superintendent of financial
    10  services deems relevant. If the  superintendent  of  financial  services
    11  delays  the  increase  in the family leave benefit level for one or more
    12  calendar years, the family leave benefit level that  shall  take  effect
    13  immediately  following  the  delay  shall be the same benefit level that
    14  would have taken effect but for the delay. The weekly benefits for fami-
    15  ly leave that occurs on or after January first,  two  thousand  eighteen
    16  shall  not  be less than one hundred dollars per week except that if the
    17  employee's wages at the time of family leave are less than  one  hundred
    18  dollars  per  week,  the  employee  shall receive his or her full wages.
    19  Benefits may be payable to employees for paid family leave taken  inter-
    20  mittently  or  for  less than a full work week in increments of one full
    21  day or one fifth of the weekly benefit.
    22    § 2. Subdivision 2 of section 205 of the workers' compensation law, as
    23  added by section 6 of part SS of chapter 54 of  the  laws  of  2016,  is
    24  amended to read as follows:
    25    2.  No  employee shall be entitled to family leave benefits under this
    26  article:
    27    (a) For more than [twelve] twenty-six weeks, or the  maximum  duration
    28  permitted  as  set  forth in paragraph (a) of subdivision two of section
    29  two hundred four of this article, during a period of  fifty-two  consec-
    30  utive  calendar  weeks[,  or  for  any  period in which the family leave
    31  combined with the disability benefits previously paid exceeds twenty-six
    32  weeks during the same fifty-two consecutive calendar weeks];
    33    (b) For any period of family leave  wherein  the  notice  and  medical
    34  certification  as  prescribed  by  the  chair has not been filed. At the
    35  discretion of the chair or chair's  designee  pursuant  to  section  two
    36  hundred twenty-one of this article, the family member who is the recipi-
    37  ent  of  care  may  be required to submit to a physical examination by a
    38  qualified health care provider. Such examination shall be  paid  for  by
    39  the carrier; and
    40    (c)  As  a  condition of an employee's initial receipt of family leave
    41  benefits during any fifty-two consecutive calendar  weeks  in  which  an
    42  employee  is  eligible  for  these  benefits,  an  employer may offer an
    43  employee who has accrued but unused  vacation  time  or  personal  leave
    44  available at the time of use of available family leave to choose whether
    45  to  charge  all  or  part of the family leave time to accrued but unused
    46  vacation or personal leave, and receive full salary, or  to  not  charge
    47  time  to  accrued but unused vacation or personal leave, and receive the
    48  benefit as set forth in section two hundred four  of  this  article.  An
    49  employer  that  pays  full  salary  during  a period of family leave may
    50  request reimbursement in accordance with section two hundred thirty-sev-
    51  en of this article. With the election of  either  option,  the  employee
    52  shall  receive  the  full  protection of the reinstatement provision set
    53  forth in section two hundred three-b of this article, and shall  concur-
    54  rently  use  available  family  medical  leave act and paid family leave
    55  credits. In no  event  can  an  employee  utilize  family  leave  beyond
    56  [twelve]  twenty-six  weeks,  or  the  maximum duration permitted as set

        A. 8465                             3
 
     1  forth in paragraph (a) of subdivision two of section two hundred four of
     2  this article, per any fifty-two week period set forth in  this  article.
     3  This paragraph may not be construed in a manner that relieves an employ-
     4  er  of  any  duty  of  collective  bargaining the employer may have with
     5  respect to the subject matter of this paragraph.
     6    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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