Advocates have praised the bill in relative terms. They say the bill would help boost a 15-year-old family leave program that too few New Jerseyans use, but they’d rather it go further. An initial version of the bill would have expanded family leave to all businesses.
“We’re hoping next session that we start the conversation and advance a bill that provides job protection for everyone who participates in this program. The bill that didn’t pass was a far cry from that,” said Dena Mottola Jaborska. “It did a little bit of expanding, but really not enough and definitely not for everyone.”
The bill won approval by the Assembly in a 44-27 vote in December but did not come to a vote before a Senate committee.