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A Resolution of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urging the Pennsylvania Senate to enact and Governor Shapiro to sign the Family Care Act, with all deliberate speed.
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WHEREAS, nearly 4 million Pennsylvanians (approximately 66% of the Commonwealth’s workforce) lack access to paid family and medical leave, making many working families - particularly those in rural areas with limited access to necessary medical care facilities - especially vulnerable to having to choose between retaining their employment and caring for a new child or sick family member; and
WHEREAS, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Allegheny County is home to118,716 families with children under the age of 18 and 124,503 children under the age of 10;
WHEREAS, according to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Health, 11,526 children were born in Allegheny County in 2024 (the most recent year for which this statistic is available), reflecting a continuous and significant demand for caregiving capacity among working families; and
WHEREAS, nearly 90% of those children were born to mothers in essential years of workforce participation, underscoring the direct connection between caregiving responsibilities and career opportunities ; and
WHEREAS, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, 74.3% of Allegheny County women with children under 6 years old are either working or actively seeking employment; and
WHEREAS, caregiving responsibilities and family health needs affect workers across the labor force, and the absence of paid leave can disrupt employment and income stability for both men and women, often forcing workers to choose between maintaining employment and meeting critical caregiving or medical needs; and
WHEREAS, women disproportionately bear familial caregiving responsibilities and therefore, the income stability and job protection afforded by paid family and medical leave programs are expected to result in higher rates of participation of women in the workforce, increasing lifetime earnings, and growing opportunities for women in leadership across sectors; and
WHEREAS, the Family Care Act was introduced and referred to the Pennsylvania House Committee on Labor and Industry on February 12, 2025; and
WHEREAS, at the time the Family Care Act was passed by the House on March 25, 2026, 90 Representatives from both parties had signed on as co-sponsors; and
WHEREAS, the Family Care Act was then referred to the Pennsylvania Senate and referred to the Senate Committee on Labor and Industry (where it remains as of the date of introduction of this Resolution) on April 1, 2026; and
WHEREAS, bringing economic stability to more of Pennsylvania’s working families is one of the stated purposes of the Family Care Act; and
WHEREAS, access to paid family and medical leave also supports public health by enabling workers to attend to medical needs, reducing the spread of illness, and improving maternal, infant, and mental health outcomes; and
WHEREAS, the Family Care Act establishes a uniform baseline for paid family leave and expands access to the benefit across employers and industry sectors, supports workforce participation, improves employee retention, and strengthens the long-term stability of families and, as a result, the broader economy; and
WHEREAS, in states with similar programs, businesses have reported higher employee retention, improved productivity, and stronger economic performance; by passing this bill, the General Assembly can ensure that Pennsylvania businesses will no longer face a competitive disadvantage as neighboring states like New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland have already implemented paid leave programs of this nature; and
WHEREAS, it is the judgment of Council that the Family Care Act offers flexibility to employers to use private insurers if their benefits meet or exceed state standards, with benefits calculated on a graduated scale (using a percentage of the statewide average weekly wage) to ensure the program is accessible to all workers, such that workers will be able to utilize the fund when they need it, retain their jobs and return to work, rather than go on unemployment or other government-subsidized programs; and
WHEREAS, it is accordingly also the judgment of Council that this framework will help put money back into the pockets of hard-working Pennsylvanians so they can care for themselves and their families following the birth of a child or when serious illness strikes a family member; and
WHEREAS, by keeping more Allegheny County residents employed, a program of the nature contemplated by the Family Care Act will preserve revenues for those taxing bodies that rely upon earned income taxes, while also mitigating the rate at which families must consider moving out of their homes due to care expenses, in the process mitigating homelessness and property tax base issues within the County; and
WHEREAS, it is additionally the judgment of Council that, in the context of public health, enactment of the Family Care Act will inure to the benefit of children and parents through:
• Reduced maternal/infant mortality rates;
• Increased vaccination rates as more children can attend well-child pediatric care;
• Increased rates and duration of breastfeeding, leading to fewer cases of breast cancer, heart attacks, diabetes, and hypertension;
• Greater attendance at birthing persons postpartum visits;
• More opportunities for screening for caregiver mental health, overall improved mental health for both mothers and fathers;
• Greater bonding time for new fathers increases fatherhood involvement for the child's lifetime; and
WHEREAS, paid family and medical leave are also expected to reduce the reliance on already struggling safety net and other programs, through:
• Increased earnings help lift families and children out of poverty and increase food security,
housing stability, and the ability to furnish other basic needs;
• Child welfare prevention, reduced incidence of child maltreatment, and fewer CYF cases;
• Reduced need for infant childcare, which is typically the most expensive and scarce childcare available;
• Reduced reliance upon elder care, with is both expensive and often an emotionally difficult experience for older individuals and their family members;
• Facilitation of the transition to different living situations and improving access to recovery services for survivors of domestic abuse; and
WHEREAS, it is finally the judgment of Council that paid family and medical leave are particularly important in the context of family units in which one or more individuals serve in the armed forces, and who therefore are from time to time unavailable to assist in providing care to family for extended periods of time due to deployments, emergencies, or other unpredictable events.
SECTION 1.
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby resolves as follows:
The Pennsylvania Senate and Governor Shapiro are hereby urged to enact and to sign the Family Care Act, with all deliberate speed.
SECTION 2. Severability.
If any provision of this Resolution shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Resolution, which shall be in full force and effect.
SECTION 3. Repealer.
Any Resolution or Ordinance or part thereof conflicting with the provisions of this Ordinance is hereby repealed so far as the same affects this Resolution.