The measure, introduced Tuesday, would apply to those who work in Washington, as well as DC residents who work outside the district. Workers can use the time to bond with an infant or an adopted child, recover from an illness, recuperate from a military deployment or tend to an ill family member, the AP reports.
The only employees who would be excluded are Virginia and Maryland residents who work for the federal government, which DC cannot force to participate.
A government-run fund created by a new tax on employers would pay for the leave. Workers earning up to $52,000 a year would get 100% of pay. Those who earn more could get $1,000 weekly plus 50% of additional income up to a maximum of $3,000, per the AP.
The legislation, supported by a majority of the DC Council and President Barack Obama, would more than double any paid-leave program in the country. It would also be a step toward benefits offered by most European countries, where parents can take as much as a year of paid time off following the birth of a child, the Washington Post reports.
The DC Chamber of Commerce is pushing back against the proposal, saying in a letter to the council Monday that the program would make the city "dangerously uncompetitive." The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Harry Wingo, called the move "unprecedented" and bad for city businesses, the AP reports.
DC Council member David Grosso, who introduced the bill along with six other members of the 13-member council, said Tuesday that the legislation "will support our DC workers and families." He has argued that family leave should not become exclusively for the wealthy.
"The fact of the matter is, if you're making less than $1,000 a week, you can't make ends meet on a fraction of your pay. You can't afford to take that leave," Grosso said.
