FEATURED BILL: NC PAID FAMILY LEAVE INSURANCE ACT

One in four new moms in North Carolina return to work just two weeks after giving birth. The rapid turnaround isn’t healthy for mothers or their newborns.

That’s one of the reasons Sen. Batch, along with her colleagues Sens. Salvador and Crawford, and Reps. Meyer, Clemmons, Reives, and Quick introduced the NC Paid Family Leave Insurance Act this April.

Under the Act, employees would be eligible for 12 to 26 weeks of paid leave if needed to recover from a serious illness, care for a family member with a serious illness, care for a new child, or deal with any issue arising from a family member’s active duty status with the military. 

The pandemic has laid bare the divisions in our society, including the undue burden women bear as caretakers for their families. This Act would help ensure that women aren’t penalized for taking care of their newborn, their loved ones, or their own health.