State lawmakers want to develop a framework for a paid family leave program.
The House Labor Committee advanced a resolution to create a working group to produce a report on paid family leave that could include proposed legislation. The working group would include state officials, lawmakers, nonprofits, the private sector and unions.
They would examine a system of wage replacement, the minimum duration of leave that would meet workers' needs, and a way for those who are self-employed to participate in a program.
Betty Lou Larson with Catholic Charities said a paid family leave program would help many of the people who ask her organization for help.
"We strongly support this because this is the kind of clientele that will come to our agency and we don't want to have them choose between having a job and caring for a loved one, whether it's an elder, a disabled child, a newborn — all of those are situations with our clients can put them in homelessness because... they're struggling to pay the basic bills," she said.
"So we really appreciate this time. We think it's a good time to study it, really get down to the nitty-gritty and find what's fair and financially long-term sustainable program would be."
Paid family leave programs have been proposed at the Legislature in the past, but have not been passed.
The Department of Labor and Industrial Services said it would need $1.5 million for legal and financial analysis of Hawaiʻi's workforce to develop a paid family leave program.
The measure will next be heard by the full House.
