Speaking at a press conference in Erie today (October 14), Senator Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) and Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-Centre) discussed the need for the proposed Family Care Act and its potential benefits for working Pennsylvanians who have a disability and/or have a family member with a disability.
Senator Laughlin’s bill, Senate Bill 580, would establish a statewide Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program to provide financial support for workers to take time off from their jobs 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.
“This program will provide a basic ‘safety net’ that would provide 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,” Senator Laughlin said. “This would be especially important for workers with disabilities and those who are caring for a family member with a disability.
“Senator Laughlin is a tireless advocate for the Family Care Act and creating a program that would provide financial support for employees who wanted to take off from work,” Senator Corman said. “When working in American has been transformed by a global pandemic, it’s a conversation whose time has come.”
The Senators were joined at the press conference by Representative Dan Miller (D-Allegheny) Shona Eakin, Voices for Independence CEO; Kelly Barrett, Living Well Specialist at Voices for Independence; and, Monica Albert Still, a former home health care administrator.
Contact: Matt Azeles mazeles@pasen.gov