State Senator Dan Laughlin will host a roundtable discussion on Tuesday (October 8) in Erie on his Family Care Act legislation. The session is set for 10 a.m. at the Pennsylvania Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home, 560 East Third Street, Erie. The roundtable discussion is free and open to the public. The event will be streamed live on Senator Laughlin’s webpage: www.senatorlaughlin.com and his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/senatorlaughlin/.
Senator Laughlin’s bill, Senate Bill 580, would establish a statewide Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program. “The program would provide a basic ‘safety net’ that would allow for some financial stability for families during their time of need. In those situations, especially when it involves a serious health issue, families have enough to be concerned about without having to worry about how they are going to pay their bills,” said Senator Laughlin.
Under “The Family Care Act,” all working individuals would make small contributions from their weekly earnings to the leave program, which would be administered by the Department of Labor & Industry. Workers can then utilize the fund when they need it – to care for themselves or a close family member in the event of a serious health condition, to care for a new child, or to care for a member of the military in qualifying circumstances. Leave benefits will be calculated on a graduated scale to make sure the program is accessible to all workers, regardless of how much they earn.
Panelists scheduled to appear at Tuesday’s roundtable discussion include: Ben Stahl, Chief Executive Officer, Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania; Heather McLaughlin, Program Manager, UPMC Home Healthcare and Family Hospice; Matthew White, Founder and Managing Director of Whitethorn Digital; and, Jill Hrinda-Patten, Executive Director, Mission Empowerment.
Contact: Matt Azeles mazeles@pasen.gov