Albany, NY – Today, advocates including including A Better Balance, the American Cancer Society, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Small Business Majority, the New York Civil Liberties Union, and more—as well as legislators including Assemblymembers Harry Bronson, Michaelle Solages, and Phil Steck—joined together for a rally at the State Capitol calling for comprehensive paid medical leave for New York workers through the passage of A. 84.
The New York State Senate already passed the legislation this session — now advocates are urging the Assembly to bring A84 to a full floor vote without delay before the end of the session.
For too long, New York’s paid medical leave program (also known as Temporary Disability Insurance or TDI) has been woefully inadequate for New Yorkers who need to take time off work for their own serious health needs. With no ability to take intermittent leave, no guarantee of job protection, and a maximum weekly benefit amount stuck at $170/week since 1989, countless New Yorkers are being left behind by New York’s TDI program when they need time off to manage their long-term health needs.
Right now, the New York Assembly has the chance to update the program for the first time in decades and bring New York up to par with the numerous other states with comprehensive paid family and medical leave programs.
The following are statements from organizations who are urging New York leadership to act swiftly to reform Temporary Disability Insurance in New York, and stop leaving workers navigating medical needs and their families behind:
“Through A Better Balance’s free legal helpline, we hear from workers across New York who are facing potential job loss, housing insecurity, and worsening health crises when they need TDI, because they cannot afford 170 dollars a week in medical leave benefits or risk their job or health insurance continuation. This forces workers – especially chronically ill and disabled workers, individuals with complicated pregnancies, and those in low-wage jobs – to make impossible choices. A reliable medical leave program is crucial to address New York’s maternal health crisis and to ensure that workers and their families have a safety net when they need it most,” said A Better Balance Senior Staff Attorney Jesse Workman.
“No one battling cancer should have to decide between feeding their family and taking time off for their treatment. New York State needs a temporary disability insurance system that meets the needs of the 130,000+ New Yorkers who will be diagnosed with cancer this year alone,” said Michael Davoli, Senior Government Relations Director, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.
“Revising New York’s outdated medical leave program would provide small businesses and their employees with a medical leave option they can rely on and a salary range that would actually match the state’s existing paid family leave requirements. As the medical leave program currently stands, many New Yorkers– especially those in low-wage positions–cannot afford to take leave and may have no other choice but to exit the workforce if they get sick. That ends up hurting small businesses, which have a harder time replacing lost workers than their big business counterparts. Given that challenge, it’s no wonder our research found that nearly 80% of small business owners would like to offer more paid leave than they can currently afford, and more than three-quarters said paid family and medical leave boosts employee morale and productivity. At a time when small businesses are struggling to compete with the robust benefits packages of larger corporations, updating New York’s paid leave program can bring us one step closer to leveling the playing field for small businesses—preserving our most important community members and the character of main streets across New York,” said New York Director & National Quality Jobs Policy Director for Small Business Majority Lindsey Vigoda, MSW.
“The National Association of Mental Illness of New York State supports the call for increased Temporary Disability Benefits because improving access to mental health services includes making sure people can afford to take care of themselves while getting care. Individuals who engage in inpatient mental health, outpatient partial hospitalization, 28 day addiction rehabilitation, and other forms of mental health care – should not have to choose between getting care and losing their homes. Improving TDI benefits helps address one of the largest barriers to care for many New York State residents; the loss of income. NAMI NYS asks the legislature to support TDI rate adjustments that benefit all New Yorkers, including those with mental health issues,” said NAMI-NYS Government and Community Affairs Manager James Norton.
“We are experiencing a nationwide maternal health crisis that disproportionately impacts Black women. In New York, the maternal mortality rate for Black women has quadrupled in the last seven years. Modernizing Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI), New York’s medical leave program, is a gender, racial, and economic justice imperative. The Senate has already advanced legislation to modernize TDI, which would ensure that people who need time off from work to tend to their own health can take job-protected leave without sacrificing their income. The Assembly must support all New Yorker workers, including pregnant workers, workers with disabilities, workers who struggle with substance use, and workers living with Long COVID, by ensuring that this bill passes that chamber before the end of session,” said Allie Bohm, senior policy counsel at the New York Civil Liberties Union.
“New Yorkers living with serious conditions like multiple sclerosis are being left behind. Managing MS often requires time away from work, and the cost of care can climb well into the thousands each year. Yet, when these individuals rely on New York’s Temporary Disability Benefits to take time away from work, they receive just a maximum of $170 per week—a figure that hasn’t changed in decades and is insufficient in helping them manage their needs. The Assembly must act now and move A.84 forward to modernize New York’s Temporary Disability Benefits and ensure real, meaningful support to those whose health forces them to step away from work,” said Corey Greenblatt, Director of Policy and Advocacy for the National MS Society.
“Unions and worker movements fought tirelessly to secure strong medical leave protections, but for decades, the wealthy and well-connected have kept New York’s temporary Disability Insurance program frozen in time–leaving working families to fend for themselves. The TDI bill would finally fix this crisis by modernizing our medical leave system to reflect the needs of today’s workforce. Citizen Action proudly supports this bill and urges the New York State Assembly to pass it before the end of session to ensure that no worker has to choose between their health and their paycheck,” said Rebecca Garrard, Interim Co-Executive Director Citizen Action of New York.
“It’s time for New York State to raise Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI), it has been far too long since the last raise in 1989. The UAW will continue to fight for TDI, and we call on the leadership in NYS to stand up for the Working-Class citizens of New York State,” said UAW Region 9 Political Director Wenceslao Valentin III.
“As a national organization representing thousands of New York mothers and families, Moms First strongly urges the New York Assembly to prioritize passing Temporary Disability Insurance reform this legislative session. The current $170 weekly maximum benefit has remained frozen since 1989, forcing New York families to make impossible choices between health and financial stability during medical emergencies. It’s unconscionable that in 2025, New Yorkers facing their own medical emergencies receive such inadequate support, creating an unsustainable burden on working families across our state. Modernizing TDI isn’t just good policy—it’s a moral imperative to protect families when they’re most vulnerable. Moms First stands firmly behind this essential reform both as advocates for the countless families we represent across New York State and as a nonprofit employer committed to protecting our own dedicated team members should they face medical emergencies—because every worker deserves dignity and financial stability during life’s most challenging moments,” said Moms First Founder and CEO Reshma Saujani.
