A bill has been introduced in the Pennsylvania state legislature to create a paid leave program in the state. The bill is currently scheduled for a committee vote on June 6.

Unfortunately, the current draft of the legislation includes a work history test in section 303(b) that around one in three Pennsylvania women of childbearing age do not satisfy. This test excludes from eligibility all people who worked less than eighteen weeks or earned less than $2,718 in the year prior to seeking benefits. If this test remains in the bill, a large minority of new parents will be ineligible for the program and receive no financial support while they care for their newborns.

The legislation is in early enough stages that this problem could be fixed. All legislators need to do is add a paragraph to the legislation that creates a minimum benefit that all new parents are at least eligible for, even if they do not satisfy the work history test. New parents that are eligible for more than the minimum benefit would still get that higher amount, but no new parent would be eligible for less than the minimum.