WASHINGTON – Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema—who recently announced the first bipartisan paid parental leave proposal—today cosponsored the bipartisan Paid Family Leave Pilot Extension Act, which extends a two-year tax credit for employers who offer paid parental and medical leave programs for their employees.
“Too many parents are forced to choose between losing time with a new child or taking on debt to make up for lost wages. Our bill represents another bipartisan step to make paid family leave a reality for everyday Arizona families,” said Sinema.
Under existing law, eligible employers who provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave to their employees during tax years 2018 and 2019 qualify for a tax credit worth up to 25% of replaced wages. The Paid Family Leave Pilot Extension Act extends the tax credit through 2022. The Paid Family Leave Pilot Extension Act compliments Sinema’s work with Republican Senator Bill Cassidy (La.) on their first-of-its-kind bipartisan paid parental leave proposal. Sinema and Senator Cassidy recently unveiled their bipartisan paid parental leave plan that allows families to receive support after the birth or adoption of a new child to finance time off of work, offset the cost of infant care, or both. Sinema’s legislation allows parents to advance $5,000 from their Child Tax Credit and gives them the flexibility to decide how to use the benefit.