Extends paid family leave benefits to members of the New York army national guard and New York air national guard.
Summary
This bill amends New York’s workers’ compensation law to make members of the New York Army National Guard and New York Air National Guard eligible for paid family leave benefits after serving for at least 26 consecutive weeks. The bill adds guard service to the list of qualifying employment categories for family leave, and it also creates a special rule allowing eligible guard members who return from an agreed unpaid leave of absence or vacation without pay to regain family leave eligibility immediately upon returning to their enlistment, appointment, or commission.
The bill also makes conforming changes to the eligibility rules for workers in certain construction and related trades who work for multiple employers under a collective bargaining agreement, but its central policy change is the extension of paid family leave coverage to National Guard members. The measure takes effect immediately and would directly affect the administration of paid family leave benefits under the workers’ compensation system, as well as the rights of eligible guard members seeking leave to care for family members or address qualifying family circumstances.
Impact
The bill would amend section 203 of the workers’ compensation law, expanding the definition of employees eligible for paid family leave benefits to include qualifying members of the New York Army National Guard and New York Air National Guard. It would require the state’s paid family leave system to treat certain guard service as covered employment for eligibility purposes, and it would also preserve immediate re-eligibility after specified unpaid leave periods. In practical terms, the change would affect the workers’ compensation/paid family leave program, employers that participate in the system, and National Guard members who otherwise might not qualify under standard civilian employment rules.
Sentiment
The available context suggests generally favorable treatment of the bill, or at least no recorded opposition in the provided materials. There are no committee transcripts or recorded votes showing debate, amendment controversy, or split sentiment, and the bill was advanced in committee after amendment and recommittal. The caption and text indicate a targeted benefit expansion for service members, which is typically framed as supportive of military families and workforce protections.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided record. Potential areas of policy concern, based on the text alone, could include the cost and administrative impact on the paid family leave system, how National Guard service is counted for eligibility, and whether the bill creates parity issues between guard members and other workers with nontraditional employment patterns. However, the supplied materials do not show any expressed objections from legislators, employers, labor groups, or military stakeholders.
Provides for reimbursement for certain insurance premiums for certain members of the naval militia, New York air, army national guard, and New York guard.
Provides for a preference for activated members of the New York army national guard or the New York air national guard serving during declared state disaster emergencies for competitive examinations for original appointment or promotion.
Provides for a preference for activated members of the New York army national guard or the New York air national guard serving during declared state disaster emergencies for competitive examinations for original appointment or promotion.
Establishes a weekend child day care assistance program to provide for child day care at a child care provider for New York army and air national guard members on drill weekends.
Permits family leave benefits related to the active service of a spouse, domestic partner, child, or parent of the employee in the New York national guard during a declared state of emergency or other ordered active state service.
Extends paid family leave benefits to certain construction employees who shall be eligible for family leave benefits if they were employed for at least twenty-six of the last thirty-nine weeks by any covered employer which is signatory to a collective bargaining agreement; relates to the effectiveness thereof.