Timeline of Wins
Timeline of Wins: 20 Years of Advocacy and Results
Over the last two decades, FV@W’s member coalitions have been instrumental in winning more than 64 new paid sick days laws and 14 new paid family and medical leave programs, impacting nearly 63 million workers and their families and creating demand for inclusive and sustainable federal and state policy solutions..
During the COVID-19 pandemic, our Network won emergency paid leave provisions at the local, state, and federal levels, lowering infection rates and ensuring that millions of workers had the right to rest, heal and take care of loved ones. Our Network won 45 new paid sick days laws related to the pandemic and fought for updates to nearly 30 existing laws. At the same time, we built new support for child care campaigns and galvanized the fight to secure $49 billion in emergency child care funding during the pandemic. Here is our timeline of wins for the working families of the U.S.A.
2024
March 18, 2024
Applicants for Paid Family & Medical Leave in Washington state can expect smoother and faster access to benefits as medical providers will now be required to sign the necessary paperwork within 7 days.
March 28, 2024
Washington’s updated Paid Sick and Safe Leave law expands the definition of family to include chosen family, allowing caregivers to support sick loved ones regardless of their relationship.
2023
April 10, 2023
Georgia passed a permanent law allowing use of PSD for sick family member.
May 25, 2023
Minnesota passed statewide paid family and medical leave that covers 2 million workers.
2022
Newsom signs bill making family leave affordable to more workers
CA passed 5 bills to improve equity to paid family and medical leave in CA, the most critical SB 951 to raise wage replacement rate for the PFL and SDI programs in the state to be affordable for the most low -income workers. This bill increases the lowest wage earners wage replacement from 60% to 90%, an essential access barrier.
CA also passed legislation to create 5 days of unpaid bereavement leave, to designate a chosen family member, and to collect more data usage of PFL by race and ethnicity
June 6, 2022
Bloomington, Minnesota passed Paid Sick and Safe Days covering 35,000 new workers.
2021
April 8, 2021
The state of New Mexico passed Paid Sick and Safe Leave allowing access to 286,309 residents.
June 25, 2021
The city of Chicago, Illinois strengthened their paid sick and safe days law.
July 6, 2021
The state of Rhode Island expanded their TCI (paid family leave) laws.
October 1, 2021
DC PFML benefit expanded to increase medical leave to six weeks and to include prenatal leave benefits
2020
March 2020
In March 2020, as the United States began to feel the impact of COVID-19, some cities and states began passing emergency paid sick days laws. Over 28 jurisdictions added COVID or public emergency coverage to their existing laws, while at least 45 new laws (some temporary, some permanent) passed to provide additional coverage.
March 18, 2020
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act passed and provided workers 10 paid sick days and up to three months of paid family and medical leave – marking the first time Congress has passed paid time to care, a moment made possible by the groundbreaking work of our network and partners over the past 16 years.
April 3, 2020
New York passed Paid Sick and Safe Days allowing access to over 1.2 million people.
July 14, 2020
Colorado passed Paid Sick and Safe Days allowing access to 813,000 residents
September 17, 2020
The state of California added job protection to their Family and Medical Leave Insurance Job Protection program.
November 3, 2020
The state of Colorado passed Family and Medical Leave Insurance allowing access to 2,200,000.
December 21, 2020
After a months-long battle, the final 2020 COVID relief package contained $1.8 billion to allow workers to take paid sick time and paid emergency leave.
2019
April 24, 2019
Dallas, Texas passed Paid Sick and Safe Days allowing access to 301,838 persons.
May 28, 2019
The state of Maine passed Paid Sick and Safe Days and Paid Time Off allowing access to 137,000 persons.
June 25, 2019
Connecticut passed Family and Medical Leave Insurance allowing access to 1,666,400.
July 10, 2019
Successful passage of the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) granted federal employees paid family leave.
August 9, 2019
Oregon passed Family and Medical Leave Insurance allowing access to 1,800,000.
2018
2018
CA Passed New Parent Leave Act so more parents could take bonding leave.
February 16, 2018
The City of Austin Texas passed Paid and Safe Days allowing access to 87,272 persons.
May 29, 2018
The city of Duluth Minnesota passed Paid and Safe Days allowing access to 19,492 persons.
June 28, 2018
Massachusetts passed Family and Medical Leave Insurance allowing access to 3,100,000 persons.
August 16, 2018
San Antonio Texas passed Paid and Safe Leave allowing access to 353,813 persons.
2017
February 15, 2017
The District of Columbia passed Family Medical Leave Insurance allowing access to 530,000 persons.
July 5, 2017
Washington passed Family Medical Leave Insurance allowing access to 2,897,436 persons.
September 28, 2017
Rhode Island passed Paid Sick and Safe Leave allowing access to 100,000 persons.
October 12, 2017
California passed Family Medical Leave Insurance Job Protection allowing access to 2,700,000 persons.
2016
2o16
CA increased wage replacement from 55% to 60% and 70%.
January 26, 2016
The city of Santa Monica, California passed Paid Sick and Safe Days allowing access to 11,900 persons.
April 4, 2016
New York passed Family Medical Leave Insurance allowing access to 6,400,000 persons.
April 11, 2016
California passed Family Medical Leave Insurance Increased Wage Replacement.
April 13, 2016
The city of Chicago, Illinois passed Paid Sick and Safe Leave allowing access to 460,000 persons.
April 19, 2016
The city of Los Angeles, California passed Paid Sick and Safe Leave allowing access to 650,000 persons.
April 21, 2016
The city of San Francisco, California passed Paid Parental Leave Ordinance.
May 26, 2016
The city of Minneapolis, Minnesota passed Paid Sick and Safe Leave allowing access to 61,823 persons.
June 7, 2016
The city of San Diego, California passed Min Wage Increase/Paid Sick Day allowing access to 433,534 persons.
August 31, 2016
The city of Berkeley, California passed Paid Sick Leave Ordinance allowing access to 18,500 persons.
September 9, 2016
The city of St. Paul, Minnesota passed Paid Sick and Safe Leave allowing access to 68,000 persons.
October 5, 2016
The county of Cook, Illinois passed Paid Sick and Safe Leave allowing access to 440,000 persons.
November 8, 2016
Arizona passed Paid Sick Days allowing access to 934,000 persons.
2015
January 27, 2015
The city of Tacoma, Washington passed Paid Sick Days allowing access to 40,000 persons.
February 12, 2015
The city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania passed Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Ordinance allowing access to 200,000 persons.
June 2, 2015
The city of Emeryville, California passed Min Wage Increase/Paid Sick Day allowing access to 10,000 persons.
June 23, 2015
The county of Montgomery, Maryland passed Paid Sick Time Ordinance allowing access to 90,000 persons.
June 25, 2015
The state of Rhode Island signed statewide pregnancy accommodations bill into law.
August 13, 2015
The city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania passed Paid Sick Days allowing access to 49,000 persons. The law became the subject of several lawsuits and did not take effect until 2020.
2014
August 26, 2014
Illinois passed Pregnancy Accommodations, effective January.
August 26, 2014
Orange County, Florida, passed paid sick days. However, this law was preempted by the state legislature and did not take effect.
September 2, 2014
Passaic, New Jersey, passed paid sick days.
September 9, 2014
Irvington, New Jersey, passed paid sick days.
September 10, 2014
California passed Paid Sick Days allowing access to 6,500,000 persons.
September 19, 2014
The District of Columbia passed Wage Theft Protection, effective February.
October 6, 2014
The city of Los Angeles, California passed Paid Sick Days/Living Wage for hotel workers.
November 2, 2014
Massachusetts passed Paid Sick and Safe Days allowing access to 910,000 persons.
November 4, 2014
The city of Oakland, California passed Min Wage Increase/Paid Sick Day allowing access to 56,000 persons.
December 5, 2014
The city of San Francisco, California passed the Retail Worker Bill of Rights.
2013
2013
CA extended paid family leave to more family members.
June 27, 2013
The city of New York, New York passed Paid Sick Days allowing access to 1,170,000 persons.
July 23, 2013
Rhode Island passed Temporary Caregiver Insurance allowing access to 500,000 persons.
2012
November 6, 2012
The city of Long Beach, California passed Paid Sick Days/Living Wage in Leisure/Hospitality.
2011
July 1, 2011
Connecticut passed Paid Sick and Safe Days allowing access to 257,000 persons.
September 23, 2011
The city of Seattle, Washington passed Paid Sick Days allowing access to 190,000 persons.
2009
November 12, 2009
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, passed paid sick days. However, this law was preempted by the state legislature and did not take effect.
2008
May 1, 2008
New Jersey passed Family Leave Insurance allowing access to 3,708,700 persons.
May 13, 2008
The District of Columbia (Washington DC) passed Paid Sick and Safe Leave allowing access to 190,300 persons.
2006
November 7, 2006
The city of San Francisco, California passed Paid Sick Leave Ordinance allowing access to 59,000 persons.
2002
September 1, 2002
California passed Paid Family Leave allowing access to 13,000,000 persons.
Hear More from Our Story Bank
Learn about why we work every day to support family-friendly work policies such as paid sick days and paid leave.