Members of the New Jersey Senate voted 21-15 Monday to send a paid family leave bill to Gov. Jon Corzine.
The bill, Assembly bill 873, would provide 6 weeks of paid leave for workers at businesses of all sizes who are caring for a baby, a newly adopted child, or a child, spouse, domestic partner, civil union partner or parent who is suffering from a serious health condition, according to the bill text.
In March, members of the New Jersey Assembly voted 46-30 to approve the bill, which was introduced by state Sen. Nelson Albano, D-Vineland, N.J.
Corzine, D, says he will sign the bill.
"Today is a victory for the working families of New Jersey and all those who believe that earning a living and caring for a loved one should not be an either/or decision," Corzine says in a statement about the bill.
California and Washington state are the only states that now have paid family leave programs.
The program created by A. 873 would apply to all private and government employees who participate in the state's unemployment insurance program, according to an Assembly Appropriations staff analysis of the bill.
Starting Jan. 1, 2009, each New Jersey worker would contribute $33 per year to a family leave insurance fund through payroll deductions.
Eligible workers could take paid family leave starting on July 1, 2009. The leave takers would get two-thirds of their usual pay, up to a maximum of $524 per week.
