Press Release
NARAL Pro-Choice California Celebrates as SB 1383, the Ensuring Job Protection for Paid Family Leave Act, Advances in the Assembly
For Immediate Release: July 29, 2020
Contact: [email protected]
Today the California Assembly Labor and Employment Committee voted to advance SB 1383, the Ensuring Job Protection for Paid Family Leave Act, authored by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (SD-19) and championed by NARAL Pro-Choice California, the California Work & Family Coalition, First 5 California, SEIU, and others, and supported by more than 200 organizations.
SB 1383 will extend job protection to the vast majority of California workers who take leave for their own health or to care for a family member or new infant, closing a major gap for employees who pay into the Paid Family Leave program, but are unable to access it for fear of losing their job. Currently, 40% of California workers do not qualify for job protection when they need to take leave because of an illness or injury or to care for a family member and 25% have no job protection when they take leave to bond with a new child. The COVID-19 pandemic has only further exposed the need to close these gaps in California’s paid leave laws and help stop the spread of the virus. To truly ensure Californians can choose if, when, and how to raise a child, ensuring job protection for workers is a crucial first step towards reproductive freedom for every body.
NARAL Pro-Choice California Director Shannon Hovis issued the following statement:
“NARAL Pro-Choice California is proud to champion SB 1383, which guarantees Californians will not lose their job when taking family leave. True reproductive freedom means ensuring that people don’t have to risk their jobs and livelihoods in order to care for their family. When parents are forced to abandon caring for their children or relatives in order to keep food on the table, their whole family suffers. All Californians deserve quality time to nurture their children and care for their family members without sacrificing their financial stability. Meaningful access to family leave is a critical component of reproductive freedom, and we look forward to seeing SB 1383 advance through the Assembly.”
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NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates and chapters are dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom for all. For more than 50 years, NARAL has worked to guarantee that every woman has the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. Since 1969, NARAL has made history, grown to over 2.5 million members, and met the moments that have defined this fight with action, power and freedom. In recognition of its work defending our constitutional right to choose, Fortune Magazine described NARAL as “one of the top 10 advocacy groups in America.”