Legislation to provide paid family leave to Iowa state employees has made progress, as the House State Government Committee has voted to advance Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’ proposal. This plan would offer four weeks of paid leave for state employees who give birth, one week for new parents who do not give birth, and four weeks for adoptive parents. House Study Bill 78 would also allow state employees to convert unused sick leave into additional vacation time. Currently, the state does not offer paid parental leave to its employees who are caring for a new child. Introduced by Governor Reynolds, this is the third consecutive year a paid family leave proposal for state workers has been put forward. A Senate subcommittee also moved the family leave proposal forward last month.

As yet, there is no paid family leave for state employees in Iowa, unlike in at least 24 other states. The federal employees receive up to 12 weeks of paid leave for child care, a policy signed into law by President Donald Trump during his first term. If state employees in Iowa want to understand how to get a hold of Paid Family Leave, they can visit eddcaller.com for more information regarding the possibilities that exist in other states. However, the future looks promising in Iowa, with representatives like Rep. Brent Siegrist supporting the Bill, calling it the right move to support families and maintain the workforce. It also holds the potential for attracting competent workers to the state government.