Concord
In a 183-151 vote, lawmakers voted in favor of House Bill 628, which would create a state-administered insurance program to provide employees up to 12 weeks of paid leave.
The program created by the legislation would offer leave to workers who have recently become parents, who are suffering serious health conditions or have relatives suffering serious health conditions.
All nongovernmental employers would be required to provide the plans — to qualify, workers would need to pay in quarterly premiums and be employed at least six months. Employee contributions to the plans would be capped at 0.5 percent of weekly wages.
Lawmakers in support touted the bill as an opportunity to create a benefit not broadly available to Granite Staters — a benefit polls have suggested is highly popular.
A University of New Hampshire poll from August 2016 found that 82 percent of the state’s residents supported paid family leave insurance.
Among women, that number was nearly 90 percent.
“I find it hard not to vote the will of the people,” said Rep. Sean Morrison, R-Epping, who voted in favor.
But some Republicans said that the program would lead to unforeseeable costs. Without guarantees on whether enough people would pay in, the program could find itself underfunded, said Rep. Len Turcotte, R-Barrington.
Rep. Keith Murphy, R-Bedford, argued that the system as proposed, in which employees must actively opt out, is too restrictive. Because those employees must obtain a notarized letter in order to opt out, some could find themselves stuck in a system they never meant to participate in, Murphy argued.
The bill has now been referred to the House commerce committee and likely will need to go before the finance and rules committees.