Legislature(2023 - 2024)BARNES 124
05/01/2023 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB21 | |
| HB126 | |
| HB97 | |
| HB100 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 126 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 97 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 100 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 21 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 100-PAID FAMILY LEAVE
3:33:01 PM
CHAIR SUMNER announced that the final order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 100, "An Act relating to teacher and public
employee leave."
3:33:26 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JENNIE ARMSTRONG, Alaska State Legislature, as
prime sponsor, introduced HB 100. She stated that HB 100 would
give 18 weeks of paid family medical leave to state employees
and teachers. She said that there would be a committee
substitute which would give the private sector the chance to opt
into the provisions of the bill.
3:33:59 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ARMSTRONG began a PowerPoint presentation, titled
"HB 100: Paid Family and Medical Leave" [hard copy included in
the committee packet]. Moving to slides 2 through 4, she stated
that 23 percent of mothers in the U.S. return to work within 10
days of giving birth, although experts recommend a waiting
period of at least 6 weeks for a birth without complications and
12 weeks for a cesarean section birth. She pointed out that
children and families are the first step in investing in "human
capital," and she displayed a graph showing the return on this
investment.
3:36:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ARMSTRONG continued to slides 5 through 9 and
stated a child's early years are a time of intense neurological
development. She pointed out that increased social and
emotional contact with a caregiver is important for a child's
development, as 90 percent of brain development occurs before
kindergarten. She said that the Family and Medical Leave Act
(FMLA) was passed in 1993, giving 12 weeks of unpaid leave for
employees of qualifying companies and federal employers. She
stated that the proposed legislation would provide up to 18
weeks of unpaid leave for state employees. She stated that the
lack of paid leave costs workers in the U.S. $22 billion
annually. She displayed a map showing which states have some
type of paid family leave.
3:38:47 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ARMSTRONG moved to slides 10 through 12 and gave
a brief overview of how paid family leave supports families,
infants, and parents. She argued that mothers are less likely
to need public assistance if they are able to take paid family
leave, and overall financial burdens are lessened for these
families. She said that infants are more likely to receive
follow-up appointments and have increased brain development
under paid family leave. Mothers who take paid family leave are
less likely to be re-hospitalized within 21 months of giving
birth, less likely to have postpartum depression, and more
likely to have a better relationship between the father and the
baby.
3:41:40 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ARMSTRONG moved to slides 13 through 15 and gave
a brief overview of how paid family leave would support
businesses, dependents, and the state. She said that businesses
offering paid family leave are more likely to retain employees.
She noted that small businesses in California saw a 14 percent
decrease in per worker labor costs. She suggested that paid
family leave allows an increase in preventative care, reducing
healthcare costs for the nearly one in three U.S. households
that provide care for an adult family member with a serious
disability or illness. She stated that if Alaskan women had the
same rate of participation in the workforce as countries with
paid family leave, it is estimated there would be an additional
8,000 workers and over $300 million in wages earned in Alaska.
She concluded that paid family leave would increase
participation of women in the workforce.
3:43:52 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ARMSTRONG continued to slides 16 and 17 and
stated that HB 100 would change current state statute to offer
18 weeks of paid family leave, rather than unpaid, for state
employees and teachers. She stated that a committee substitute
will be offered, and this follows the model used by New
Hampshire, which has made paid family leave a part of the
employees' insurance policy, allowing political subdivisions of
the state to opt in. She said that the plan would also allow
private businesses to opt into the plan at the same rate as the
state.
3:45:16 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked whether paid family leave would
allow families to have more children, if desired.
3:45:35 PM
TRISTAN WALSH, Staff, Representative Jennie Armstrong, Alaska
State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Armstrong, prime
sponsor of HB 100, expressed uncertainty, but noted that
childcare for early childhood is very expensive, and paid family
leave would help keep the families' earnings higher.
REPRESENTATIVE ARMSTRONG added that finding childcare is
difficult, and paid family leave could potentially result in
more openings at childcare centers.
3:47:26 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked whether the state would be paying the
deductible.
MR. WALSH answered that New Hampshire offers an insurance plan
to its employees in which it pays for the premiums, which are
capped at the same rates as long-term disability premiums. He
stated that he would follow up with the committee regarding who
would be responsible for the deductible, under HB 100. In
response to a series of follow-up questions, he said that there
would be a short waiting period on the insurance policies. He
answered that the proposed legislation would allow the family
leave to be used for any reason a child is added to the family,
as well as the care of another family member's health.
Concerning the actuarial analysis, he answered that there is an
estimate through legislative finance.
3:52:58 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked who would ultimately be responsible
for paying the cost of family leave for state employees.
REPRESENTATIVE ARMSTRONG answered that it would come from the
general fund like any other state employee benefit.
3:53:44 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked whether the Department of
Administration tracks the number of employees who leave
employment because of a lack of paid family leave.
MR. WALSH answered no, as it is considered to be part of an
employee's personnel file. In response to a follow-up question,
he said that failing to retain an employee can cost as much as
21 percent of the salary that would have been paid.
3:55:35 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked whether the required figure for
hours worked is a standard requirement in other legislation.
MR. WALSH answered yes.
3:57:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked whether it would be an optional
benefit.
MR. WALSH answered no. He added that it could apply to older
workers needing to take care of a family member. In response to
a follow-up question, he said that there had not been much
discussion with labor unions.
3:59:46 PM
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT asked whether there had been a
conversation with the administration concerning the proposed
bill.
MR. WALSH answered that there had been minimal discussion with
members of the administration.
4:00:51 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked whether there is a figure for usage
of the current unpaid leave policy.
MR. WALSH answered no. In response to a follow-up question, he
said that he is unsure what the split is between employees using
the leave to care for sick family members or children.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER questioned whether there is information
on a federal level.
MR. WALSH responded that he would follow up to the committee
with this information.
4:02:54 PM
CHAIR SUMNER announced that HB 100 was held over.