A.9571 – a bill that would make much-needed updates to New York’s paid medical leave program – failed to be brought to a vote in the New York Assembly after passing in the Senate last week.
Below is a statement from A Better Balance senior staff attorney Jesse Workman on behalf of the Fix Paid Leave New York coalition:
“The Fix Paid Leave New York coalition is deeply disappointed that the New York Assembly failed to bring A.9571 to the floor for a vote,despite overwhelming support from 110 cosponsors and broad bipartisan backing.
New York’s paid medical leave program is broken. While neighboring states provide workers with more than $1,000 per week in paid medical leave benefits, New Yorkers facing a serious health condition are still expected to survive on just $170 a week—a benefit that has not been updated since 1989 and provides no guaranteed job protection.
As families struggle with rising costs and looming federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, lawmakers have once again failed to strengthen one of New York’s most important worker safety nets. The consequences are real: workers undergoing cancer treatment while trying to stay employed, families pushed into debt after a medical crisis, and New Yorkers forced to choose between their health and a paycheck. At a time when New York continues to face an unacceptable pregnancy-related death rate, particularly among Black New Yorkers, we should be making it easier—not harder—for people to take time to recover from pregnancy complications and other serious health conditions.
We thank Senator Ramos and Assemblymember Bronson for their leadership in championing this reform. New Yorkers cannot afford another year of inaction. The Assembly had the votes to pass this bill and chose not to act. The Fix Paid Leave New York coalition will continue fighting until every worker has access to the meaningful paid medical leave protections they need and deserve.