California governor to propose US’s longest paid parental leave policy: report

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is reportedly planning to propose a significant expansion to his state’s paid parental leave program, making it the longest in the country.
The newly sworn-in governor reportedly plans to propose a policy that would give parents six months of partially paid leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted baby, according to The Associated Press.
“It’s a developmental necessity,” Newsom said in reference to paid leave at a press conference unveiling his proposed $144 billion general fund budget for the state on Thursday, HuffPost also reported. “We’re committed to this.”
{mosads}Newsom reportedly eventually wants to provide parents in his state with six months of parental leave that could also be divided between them, though the AP notes that his initial budget only includes a “smaller step in that direction.”
Under California’s current paid leave program, the state covers a portion of wages for new parents for six weeks. Birth mothers are also reportedly able to take up to an additional six weeks of disability leave under the policy.
The program also reportedly gets its funds through a payroll tax. However, it remains unclear how Newsom would plan to cover a full six-month program.
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