DOA:......Sherwin, BB0429 - State Employee Paid Family & Medical Leave
For 2025-2027 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
An Act ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
EMPLOYMENT
State employment
Paid family and medical leave
This bill requires the administrator of the Division of Personnel Management in DOA to develop a program for paid family and medical leave of 8 weeks annually for most state employees. The bill requires the administrator to submit the plan for approval as a change to the state compensation plan to the Joint Committee on Employment Relations. If JCOER approves the plan, the plan becomes effective January 1, 2027.
The bill also requires the Board of Regents of the UW System to develop a plan for a program for paid family and medical leave of 8 weeks annually for employees of the system and requires the board to submit the plan to the administrator of the Division of Personnel Management in DOA with its compensation plan changes for the 2025-27 biennium. If JCOER approves the plan, the program becomes effective January 1, 2027.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. 230.12 (9m) of the statutes is created to read:
230.12 (9m) Paid family and medical leave. (a) Definitions. In this subsection:
1. “Family leave” means leave from employment for a reason specified in s. 103.10 (3) (b).
2. “Medical isolation” means any of the following:
a. When a health care professional, a local health officer, or the department of health services advises that an individual seclude herself or himself from others when the individual is awaiting the result of a diagnostic test for a communicable disease or when the individual is infected with a communicable disease.
b. When a local health officer or the department of health services advises that an individual isolate or quarantine under s. 252.06.
c. When an individual’s employer advises that the individual not come to the workplace due to a concern that the individual may have been exposed to or infected with a communicable disease.
3. “Medical leave” means leave from employment when an employee is in medical isolation or has a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform his or her employment duties, or makes the employee unable to perform the duties of any suitable employment.
4. “Serious health condition” has the meaning given in s. 103.10 (1) (g).
(b) Program. The administrator shall develop and recommend to the joint committee on employment relations a program, administered by the division, that provides paid family and medical leave for 8 weeks per year to employees whose compensation is established under this section or s. 20.923 (2) or (3) but does not include employees of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. The approval process for the program is the same as that provided under sub. (3) (b), and, if approved, the program shall be incorporated into the compensation plan under sub. (1).
(c) Rules. The administrator may promulgate rules to implement the family and medical leave program under par. (b).
Section 9101. Nonstatutory provisions; Administration.
(1) Paid family and medical leave. If the paid family and medical leave program under s. 230.12 (9m) is approved by the joint committee on employment relations, it shall go into effect on January 1, 2027.
Section 9147. Nonstatutory provisions; University of Wisconsin System.
(1) Paid family and medical leave.
(a) Definitions. In this subsection:
1. “Family leave” means leave from employment for a reason specified in s. 103.10 (3) (b).
2. “Medical isolation” means any of the following:
a. When a health care professional, a local health officer, or the department of health services advises that an individual seclude herself or himself from others when the individual is awaiting the result of a diagnostic test for a communicable disease or when the individual is infected with a communicable disease.
b. When a local health officer or the department of health services advises that an individual isolate or quarantine under s. 252.06.
c. When an individual’s employer advises that the individual not come to the workplace due to a concern that the individual may have been exposed to or infected with a communicable disease.
3. “Medical leave” means leave from employment when an employee is in medical isolation or has a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform his or her employment duties, or makes the employee unable to perform the duties of any suitable employment.
4. “Serious health condition” has the meaning given in s. 103.10 (1) (g).
(b) Program plan. The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System shall submit to the administrator of the division of personnel management in the department of administration, with its recommendations for adjustments to compensation and employee benefits for employees of the system under s. 230.12 (3) (e) 1. for 2025-27, a plan for a program to provide paid family and medical leave for 8 weeks annually to employees of the system. If the the joint committee on employment relations approves the program for paid family and medical leave, it shall go into effect on January 1, 2027.
(end)
