The Iowa House has overwhelmingly approved a bill that would make state employees with a new child eligible for paid parental leave.
“Maternity and paternity for state employees who currently have zero hours of paid family leave,” said Representative Taylor Collins of Mediapolis, who briefly explained the plan during House debate.
It would give four weeks of paid leave to state employees who give birth and one week to the other parent. Adoptive parents would get four weeks.
Representative Sami Scheetz, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, said good benefits help make state employee positions more attractive, since salaries aren’t competitive with the private sector, and paid parental leave is a good first step.
“They need leave,” he said. “They need to be able to spend time with their newborns. I am hopeful as I’ve said throughout the process, too, that the governor will be able to use her considerable influence to get this through the Senate this year.”
This is the third year Governor Reynolds has proposed paid maternal and paternal leave for state employees and the first time it has won House approval. It passed on an 87-2 vote. Both no votes were from Republicans in the House.
Currently, soon-to-be parents who are state employees save up vacation days so they can take time off to care for a newborn or a newly-adopted child.