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State Assembly Passes Paid Leave After Governor's Push

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's high-profile push for 12-week paid family leave, which featured Vice President Joe Biden and others, led the way for the state Assembly to pass paid family leave proposal that's now on its way to the state Senate.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is joined by Vice President Joe Biden and others in pushing state lawmakers to adopt a 12-week paid family leave plan.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is joined by Vice President Joe Biden and others in pushing state lawmakers to adopt a 12-week paid family leave plan.

Photo Credit: Gov. Andrew Cuomo

The Assembly passed a plan Tuesday to have workers contribute to a 12-week leave to care for a new child or a sick loved one, according to Syracuse.com. It follows Cuomo's public Strong Families, Strong New York event where he was joined by Vice President Joe Biden and Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Every Mother Counts, and many federal, state and local leaders.

The state Senate may be a tougher sell. The Assembly passed a paid family leave bill in 2015, but it failed to gain ground in the state Senate, according to Syracuse.com, amid concerns that it would be a burden to businesses.

Cuomo, meanwhile, made an emotional pitch Friday for paid family leave, saying his own father's illness made the point that there are times in life that family has to come first.

"It’s unacceptable that people are still forced to choose between caring for their families and keeping their jobs, and we’re going to change that in New York," Cuomo said Friday.

Friday's event, held at the McBurney YMCA in New York City, also served for Cuomo to announce the state's new website focused on paid family leave.

More than 500 parents, community members and advocates came out Friday to Cuomo's Strong Families, Strong New York event to rally support for paid family leave. Cuomo said he wants New York to lead the way for other states.

Only California, New Jersey and Rhode Island have paid family leave, but those programs are only offered for six weeks, Cuomo said. Though the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 provides for 12 weeks of unpaid leave, many can't even take advantage of that because of a variety of exemptions, Cuomo said.

Cuomo said the United States is the only developed nation without a paid family leave program.

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