State Rep Giraldo continues fight for expanded paid family leave in RI

CENTRAL FALLS – When Central Falls State Representative Joshua Giraldo's middle daughter was born, she was two and half months premature and stayed in the NICU every day for several weeks.

At the time, Giraldo was utilizing the full amount of his Temporary Care Giver Insurance (TCI) benefits to stay with her, and once she recuperated, all Giraldo could think about were the families that remained.

"I thought of them having to face leaving their child at the NICU and figuring out how to live," Giraldo said.

As a result, Giraldo has made it his top priority to fight for expanded paid family leave benefits and won't stop until the revised bill he is sponsoring is passed in the House.

According to Giraldo, Rhode Island workers are currently entitled to six weeks of leave, with 60% of their salary paid to them. However, he is looking to expand leave to 12 weeks and for 100% of salaries to be paid, to match other neighboring states.

"We were the first state in New England and the third nationwide to pass a paid salary leave program and since then, other states have taken route, but they offer more weeks (off)," Giraldo explained.

"Other states provide 100% of the salary and in Connecticut, it's either 80, 90, or 100%. We need to do something because we're the last in line."

Giraldo said employees are eligible to use their TCI benefits when a qualified health care provider can confirm and sign off that an individual needs care for a medical condition or post surgery.

Benefits also apply to moms, dads, and families when there is a birth or adoption.

"My bill expands benefits from six to 12 weeks, as well as who can provide care, and the dependent's allowance from $10 to $20," Giraldo mentioned.

While the bill did pass in the Senate last year, Giraldo said the issue has been getting the House on board, which has expressed general hesitancy to the changes.

Each year, leadership also gets lots of other great bills and ideas, Giraldo explained, so the capacity to consider every bill is limited.

"My role is to demonstrate how important it is to have this in RI by rallying with the community," Giraldo stated.

In the face of opposition, Giraldo says he mainly points to the other states that have successfully implemented the policy at a higher rate.

He recently testified with several advocacy groups in favor of the changes at a House Committee on Labor meeting, where he recalls there being "tons of positive feedback".

Giraldo has also reached out to coalitions that are in support of the bill as well as business coalitions that are opposed to it, advocating that the changes will help with employee retention overall.

Groups that have offered their support to Giraldo include RI Kids Count, Economic Projects Institute, American Cancer Society, Department of Labor and Training, Women's Fund of RI, and AARP.

The next step is to push the bill to leadership so it can get a Labor Committee vote, Giraldo said.

"Once the Labor committee votes and it passes, it goes to the House floor. I have full faith that if it passes by Labor, then it will pass on the House floor."

But if the House again refuses to pass the bill, Giraldo has no plans of backing down.

"I would push it forward again and try to understand what the barriers are to it moving forward," he said.

"I would keep chipping away at it, keep bringing in community partners; I won't allow for this to go to the wayside."

If the House approves the revised bill, it would then go to the Governor to sign or veto it, but Giraldo doesn't think a veto would happen.

The effective date would be January 1, 2025.

"There's not a single individual I've talked to that would not wholeheartedly embrace this legislation because everyone at some point will need it," Giraldo stated.

Giraldo will be submitting a total of 15 bills this year, including one on paycheck transparency for employers, another prohibiting landlords to inquire on the immigration status of a tenant, a bill supporting the retention and recruitment of teachers, and one allowing Central Falls to receive pilot payments in lieu of taxes for the Wyatt Detention Center.