By Bob Katzen

Another proposal heard by the Labor and Workforce Development Committee would require employers to provide up to 24 hours of paid prenatal leave per year for pregnant individuals, and up to ten hours for their partners, to support attendance at medical appointments and related care. The proposal is modeled after a similar policy adopted in New York and aims to provide more flexibility for working families to access critical prenatal care.

“I sponsored this bill because expanding prenatal leave helps ensure healthier pregnancies and better birth outcomes,” said sponsor Sen. Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow). “When we give families the time they need for early care, we strengthen not just individual health but also public health and workplace stability.”