HOUSE MEMORIAL 48
53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2017
INTRODUCED BY
Daymon Ely
A MEMORIAL
REQUESTING THE PARENTAL PAID-LEAVE WORKING GROUP TO CONTINUE THE EFFORTS MADE PURSUANT TO HOUSE HEALTH COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE MEMORIAL 2 FROM THE FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE TOWARD THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A PARENTAL PAID-LEAVE PROGRAM FOR NEW MEXICO BEGINNING IN 2019.
WHEREAS, House Health Committee Substitute for House Memorial 2 from the first session of the fifty-second legislature in 2015 noted that:
A. paid family-leave programs provide substantial benefits to children and the families of children; and
B. other states with a paid-family leave program have improved levels of job retention and employee loyalty and morale without increases in costs; and
WHEREAS, House Health Committee Substitute for House Memorial 2 provided for the convening of a parental paid-leave working group of experts in child and family development, business, law and public finance and administration, with the executive director of the southwest women's law center as its chair, to make findings and develop recommendations for the establishment of a publicly managed parental paid-leave program in New Mexico for both the public and private sectors; and
WHEREAS, in October 2016, the family-friendly workplace task force presented its findings and recommendations to the legislative health and human services committee; and
WHEREAS, the task force found that, at that time, four states had paid-family-leave laws, and an additional fifteen states were considering the creation of paid-family-leave programs; and
WHEREAS, the task force proposed at that time an outline of a New Mexico program that would provide employee contributions to a fund and reimbursement from that fund of a portion of an employee's salary when the employee takes up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave from employment for a seriously ill family member or for bonding with a newborn child, newly adopted child or newly placed foster child;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the parental paid-leave working group be requested to continue to develop recommendations for the establishment of a parental paid-leave and paid family- and medical-leave program to provide the data necessary for establishing a parental paid-leave and paid family- and medical-leave program for New Mexico; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the executive director of the southwest women's law center be requested to continue to serve as the chair of the parental paid-leave working group and to convene the working group; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the parental paid-leave working group be requested to make findings and develop recommendations for the establishment of a publicly managed parenting workers' leave fund that can be accessed by both private and public employees and employers; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the parental paid-leave working group continue to develop recommendations as to the state agency that should manage the parental paid-leave program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the parental paid-leave working group make recommendations on the implementation of a parental paid-leave and paid family- and medical-leave program over a three-year period, beginning in July 2019, with implementation of a pilot program in the public sector in year one of the program, full implementation of the program in the public sector in year two of the program and a phase-in of the private sector in year three of the program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the parental paid-leave working group present its recommendations to the legislative health and human services committee prior to December 31, 2017 for approval of the pilot program in the public sector that can be voted upon during the second session of the fifty-third legislature in 2018; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to:
A. the governor;
B. the secretary of children, youth and families;
C. the secretary of workforce solutions;
D. the secretary of taxation and revenue;
E. the state investment officer;
F. the president of the university of New Mexico;
G. the director of the bureau of business and
economic research at the university of New Mexico;
H. the legislative health and human services committee staff;
I. the legislative finance committee staff; and
J. the executive directors of:
(1) New Mexico voices for children;
(2) New Mexico chambers of commerce;
(3) the southwest women's law center;
(4) the New Mexico pediatric society;
(5) New Mexico women's agenda;
(6) the New Mexico center on law and
poverty;
(7) collective action strategies, LLC;
(8) OLÉ;
(9) el centro de igualdad y derechos;
(10) encuentro New Mexico;
(11) New Mexico comunidades en acción y de
fé;
(12) the Albuquerque Hispano chamber of
commerce;
(13) the Las Cruces Hispanic chamber of
commerce;
(14) the African American chamber of
commerce of New Mexico;
(15) the greater Albuquerque chamber of
commerce;
(16) the greater Las Cruces chamber of
commerce;
(17) the Santa Fe chamber of commerce;
(18) the national association of women
business owners; and
(19) the New Mexico association of commerce
and industry.
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