title
A Resolution of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urging the Pennsylvania Senate to enact and Governor Shapiro to sign HB200, the Family Care Act, with all deliberate speed.
body
WHEREAS, HB200 (attached to this Resolution) was originally introduced and referred to the Pennsylvania House Committee on Labor and Industry on February 12, 2025; and
WHEREAS, at the time HB200 was passed by the House on March 25, 2026, 90 Representatives from both parties had signed on as co-sponsors; and
WHEREAS, HB200 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, the program proposed under the terms of HB200 would be funded through modest employer contributions, which would be administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry; and
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, 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, paid family and medical leave 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, it is the judgment of Council that HB200 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, while also ensuring small businesses who would not be able to afford to offer this benefit on their own can still do so; and
WHEREAS, by keeping more Allegheny County residents employed, a program of the nature contemplated by HB200 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 HB200 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 maltreatement, 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 members 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 HB200, 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.