PR 24-0063 — District Government Family Bereavement Leave Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2021

MURIELBOWSERENROLLED MAYORORIGINAL Jnury2,201A TheRESOLUTION Honorable24-55 PhilIN MendelsonTHE ChairmanCOUNCIL CouncilofisrctofColumbiaOF PennsylvaniaTHE Avenue,DISTRICT NW,OF Suite504COLUMBIA Washington,DCMarch 200042, Re:isrctGovernmentFamilyBereavementLeaveAmendmentActof20212021 DearChairmanMendelson:To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to provide paid bereavement leave to a District government employee after the employee suffers the death of a minor child of the employee, a third-trimester miscarriage, or stillbirth.

InRESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the District“District ofGovernment Columbia,Family weBereavement takeLeave careEmergency ofDeclaration ourResolution employees.of 2021”.

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While we have a robust array ofbenefits available forour workforce to recover and heal, we propose cmpemntngoreitngeeitsihadtonlpidovrgeorititgoermeteplyes who suffer a late-term miscarriage or stillbirth,or the deathoftheir child.

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Enclosure ChairmailMendelson atheeuetofheMayor A RESOLUTION IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Toelaeteexseceofnemegecywthrsectotenedtoroideadberavmet laetoisrctovrnenteplyesforheeahofaamlymemberhr-rietr msarigs,adsilits.

RESOLVED,BYTHECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIAhaths resolutionmay becitedasthe“DistrictGovernmentFamilyBereavementLeaveEmergency elaatonesluinof221.

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2.

(a) While the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016 provides up to 2 weeks of paid leave for the death of a child, a late-term miscarriage, or a stillbirth, the comparable District Government Paid Family Leave program does not provide a comparable amount of leave for the death of a child and does not provide paid leave at all for late-term miscarriages or stillbirths.

Although the District has a robust array of leave and disability benefits available for employees to use to recover and heal, the portfolio needs to be complemented with additional paid coverage for District government employees who suffer a third-trimester miscarriage or stillbirth, or the death of their child.

(b) Expanding District government employees’ bereavement leave to increase the number of days of coverage for the death of a minor child and to cover late-term miscarriages and stillbirths will close an inequitable gap in the District government’s leave coverage.

(c) Current employees are harmed by their inability to access an appropriate level and type of leave, and additional employees will be unnecessarily harmed without prompt legislative action.

Sec.

The CouncilofCouncil of the DistrictofColumbiaDistrict of Columbia determines that the circumstances in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making itnecessarythattheit DistrictGovernmentnecessary that the District Government Family Bereavement Leave Amendment Act of2021of 2021 be adopted afterasingleafter a single reading.

This resolution shalltakeeffectshall take effect immediately.

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA ffceofheAttorneyGeneral x k * ATTORNEY GENERAL E E E KARL .RACINE ttrnyClentCommunication Legal Counsel Division MEMORANDUM T O :

Ronan Gulstone Director OfficeofPolicyand LegislativeAffairs FROM:

BrianK.Flowers LegalCounselvsin General DATE:

January,2021 SUBJECT:

Draftgilain:“isritGovernmentFamilyBereavementLeave Declaratieolton,“itrctGovernmentFamilyBereavementLeave TemporaryAmendmentAof2021,”anisritGovernmentFamily BereavementLeaveAmendmentf2021” (AL2111(B) T h i s is toc e r t i f y thatisotiehasrevieweheabove- rfeenedproosdlegsaionandondittobeeglysffcet.

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Bunn K.

Flowers BrianK.

Flowers 1350PennsylvaniaAvute0,Washington004(20245:

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