Supporters of state-sponsored Paid Family and Medical Leave say they will try again this legislative session to get the program approved in New Mexico.
During a rally and press conference in the Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday lawmakers, business and employee leaders and activists threw their support behind new legislation that has been introduced ahead of the 30-day session that begins on Tuesday.
A similar bill died in committee last year. Supporters have been trying to get a state family and medical leave program approved for decades.
Primary sponsor Senate Pro-Tem Mimi Stewart says this version is an improvement over last year’s version that was strongly opposed by many business groups and owners.
“We have a stronger bill, we have a better bill, we have made the changes that we need to,” she said. “We’ve got a larger stakeholder group. Some of our folks went to both Colorado and Tennessee to meet with other states that either had put in place a Paid Family and Medical Leave Act or were thinking of doing it. So we have learned from others. We’ve learned what loopholes to fill up and what flexibility to put into the bill and thank you again to the Governor who has heard us, who has worked with us, who has heard businesses and who is ready to work with us in this session.”
One of the major changes made to the bill from last year is that submitting a claim will require a healthcare provider’s signed verification with an estimated length of leave time that is necessary. For military circumstances, military leadership would provide the verification.
According to supporters, 14 states with a similar requirement report very few cases of fraud or abuse of the program.
