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No room to address financing in paid family leave
bill
Bill continues trend of uncertain future of program
A controversial bill
implementing the paid family leave entitlement program will not address how the
$100 million program will be funded.
House Bill 3305 is almost identical in language to
House Bill 2665, first heard in the House on Jan. 18, with one
basic difference.
"By making the title of the
bill longer and more detailed, the bill's scope has been deliberately more narrowly defined
to exclude funding," said Commerce and Labor Committee member
Rep. Bruce
Chandler. "The new title ignores the one basic question before
the Legislature this year.
"It's unfair to force
employers and employees to endure months of uncertainty about the future
of the program," said Chandler, R-Granger. "I hope the Legislature can
finally make a decision this year and show some leadership to the many
businesses and families that will be affected by this program."
The lead Republican on the
House Commerce and Labor Committee,
Rep.
Cary Condotta, also expressed concerns about funding, noting the
downturn in the state and national economy.
"I see this new program as
the tail lights on the bus because it's the last thing we'll see as it
heads over the cliff," said Condotta, R-East Wenatchee. "We have daycares that need more
funding, nursing homes that need better reimbursement rates from the
state, but here we are creating a new multi-million dollar program with
no funding plan, and at what cost to other programs that help children
and vulnerable adults?"
Condotta said that despite
how people feel about the program, enacting it is the height of fiscal
irresponsibility.
"We're looking at a
massive deficit in the state budget next year, so we know the money is
just not going to be there for this new entitlement," Condotta said. "We
need to tighten our belt right now and we can start today by not moving
this program forward."
"This program still costs
far too much to administer in comparison to the benefit it pays,"
Chandler told committee members. "To be honest, it's irresponsible for
the House or the Senate to continue to move this program without
explaining honestly to the people of this state how it's going to get
paid for."
Of the many problems
Chandler and Condotta point out in the bill, they consider the provision to let a
worker receive the paid leave benefit while still continuing to work is
one of the most egregious.
The Commerce and Labor
Committee voted today 4-3 to pass House Bill 3305, which enacts the
administration and implementation without a permanent funding mechanism. Fiscal
notes for the program have ranged from $94 million to $125 million.
Benefits are slated to be paid out beginning October 2009.
The paid family leave
entitlement program was created by Senate Bill 5659 passed in 2007,
which directed a task force to bring forth funding, administration and
implementation legislation this year.
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For more information, contact:
Sarah Lamb, Public Information
Officer - (360) 786-7720
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