Paid Family Leave: Senate Version Clears Committee with Bipartisan Support

What happened:  The Senate Labor and Industry Committee approved Senate Bill 906 with strong bipartisan support, advancing a paid family and medical leave bill sponsored by committee chair Sen. Devlin Robinson (R-Allegheny) and Sen. Maria Collett (D-Montgomery). The bill now moves to the full Senate. 

What the Senate bill would do:  SB 906 would create a state-run insurance program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and funded by employee payroll contributions. Eligible workers could receive up to 20 weeks of paid leave for the birth of a child or a serious personal medical condition, and up to 12 weeks to care for a family member, for military-related caregiving, or in qualifying circumstances involving domestic violence. The bill is supported by AARP Pennsylvania, PSEA, and Children First. 

The contrast with the House-passed version:  This is a structurally different bill from the House-passed version. The House bill (HB 1549, Rep. Jennifer O’Mara) shifted the full cost of paid leave to employers after a late amendment removed employee payroll contributions and reduced maximum leave from 20 to 12 weeks — changes that drew Republican criticism and made the Senate path uncertain. Robinson’s Senate version relies solely on employee payroll contributions capped at 1% of income and provides up to 20 weeks of leave, making it the version more likely to advance in the Republican-controlled chamber. 

Why it matters for Pennsylvania nonprofits as employers: The structure of SB 906, funded by employee payroll deductions rather than employer mandates, significantly changes the financial calculus compared to the House bill. Organizations with large frontline workforces in human services, home health, housing, and childcare will see the most significant impact.