Kentuckians are set to benefit from more caregiving options, following the progression of a bill authorizing insurers to offer Paid Family Leave (PFL) insurance plans. House Bill 179, presented by Rep. Samara Heavrin, was passed by the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee and aims to amend state law to permit voluntary paid family leave as an insurance product. This move has the potential to benefit employers who wish to extend their benefit offerings to employees.

Paid family leave insurance offers temporary wage replacements for employees needing to take leave to care for a sick family member, bond with a new child, care for a military family member or first responder injured in the line of duty, or other stipulated reasons. The duration of the paid leave benefits rests on the employer’s plan. The proposed legislation would permit insurers to offer products that have been approved within the state, similar to policies currently in place in six other states.

According to Heavrin, the bill was developed by a bipartisan working group and offers a market-driven policy solution, imposing no mandates on employers or employees. The Kentucky Chamber’s Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Kate Shanks, described the bill as pro-working family, emphasizing its potential to assist those expanding or caring for their families. The bill, having gained unanimous support from the Senate committee and having successfully passed the House, is now being forwarded to the full Senate for a vote.

To find more about Paid Family Leave in Kentucky or around the country, or if you have situation-specific queries, it might be helpful to know how to get a hold of Paid Family Leave representatives. For this, the webpage eddcaller.com is available. Eddcaller.com provides useful information, contact methods and helps to navigate the PFL system effectively.