House approves Family Care Act
Bipartisan bill seeks family and medical leave insurance program in PA
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus March 25, 2026 | 3:12 PM
HARRISBURG, March 25 — In bipartisan fashion, the House today approved a bill sponsored by state Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, to bring economic stability to more working families by creating a family and medical leave insurance program in Pennsylvania.
House Bill 200, dubbed The Family Care Act, would bring Pennsylvania in line with more than a dozen other states that offer paid leave that ensures workers don’t have to choose between their job and their family’s well-being after the birth of a child or during a serious illness.
“I’m proud to see this legislation take an important step forward,” O’Mara said. “It supports both working families and the small businesses that can’t afford to offer this benefit to their employees. I’ve been championing this bill along with child and family advocates who understand the difficulties that working families sometimes face and the importance of work-life balance.”
Additionally, in states with similar programs, small businesses benefit because they report higher employee retention and improved productivity, O’Mara said.
While federal law provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for family and medical reasons, paid leave remains elusive for many Pennsylvanians. Nearly 4 million Pennsylvanians, or 66% of the state’s workforce, lack access to paid family and medical leave, O’Mara noted.
“Many families, especially in rural and vulnerable communities, are dangerously close to one medical emergency taking away everything,” said Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny, a co-prime sponsor on the legislation. “The Family Care Act will ensure economic stability and job protection for our neighbors who are facing some of the most critical and serious emergencies one can experience. I look forward to continuing the work to get this crucial legislation passed.”
“As a working of mother of three, I can speak from experience: Pursuing a career while starting a family is challenging,” said Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Allegheny/Washington, also a co-prime sponsor. “This measure raises the quality of life for expecting parents by giving them just a bit of breathing room. Representative O’Mara was a great advocate on this issue, and I was happy to work with her.”
Neighboring states that offer paid family and medical leave include New Jersey, which offers 12 weeks of paid leave, and Delaware, which launched a new program this year offering 12 weeks of parental leave and six weeks of medical leave. A paid leave program in Maryland offering up to 12 weeks is set to begin in 2028.
Under H.B. 200, eligible Pennsylvania employees could receive up to 12 weeks worth of partial wage replacement for personal or family situations that meet the criteria.
State grant funding would be available to qualifying businesses that participate in the program.
House Bill 200 now moves to the Senate for consideration.
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