Vermont's House of Representatives has approved legislation that would create statewide paid medical and family leave.
The legislation would impose a new payroll tax on virtually all workers in Vermont for the nearly $80 million needed annually to fund the paid leave benefit. Vermont Public Radio reports the bill allows workers to take up to 12 weeks to care for a newborn child or eight weeks to deal with a personal or family medical issue.
The bill would use a 0.55% payroll tax to fund the insurance pool from which benefits would be paid out, which Republican Gov. Phil Scott has said he cannot support.
A similar bill passed both chambers of the Legislature last year, but Scott vetoed the proposal.
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