Maui County Councilmember Gabe Johnson has announced the introduction of state legislation that seeks to mandate access to paid family leave for state and county employees. Johnson introduced Resolutions 23-173 and 23-176, both of which were unanimously adopted on Sept. 1. These resolutions propose the legislation for inclusion in the 2024 legislative packages for the Maui County Council and Hawaiʻi State Association of Counties. In response to the council and HSAC’s request, House Speaker Scott Saiki introduced House Bills 1855 and 1876, and Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi introduced Senate Bills 2207 and 2225.

Johnson highlighted the benefits of paid family leave, suggesting that it could aid in employee retention and recruitment for state and county agencies. He further noted that such benefits would equalize conditions with the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, which has already extended similar benefits to over two million federal workers since 2020. If passed, the legislation would provide qualified state and county employees with full wages for 12 weeks of family leave per year under certain circumstances. Johnson hopes that paid family leave will be beneficial to workers, their families, and the community as a whole. The proposed legislation can be followed at https://www.mauicounty.us/2024-legislative-session/.