Pennsylvania would join more than a dozen states that require employers to provide paid family leave under legislation advanced by the state House on Wednesday.

House Bill 200, which would require employers to provide at least 12 weeks of paid family leave, was approved by a 107-92 vote and now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Current federal law only requires employers to provide unpaid family leave, a policy that forces many parents of newborns, in particular, to return to work sooner than they’d like.

House Bill 200 would require workers to provide leave for a variety of reasons, including:

– Bonding with a newborn or newly adopted child

– Caring for an elderly or disabled relative

– Supporting a seriously ill child or taking time to recover from a personal illness or injury

– Escaping domestic violence

– Addressing family members related to military deployment

Benefits would be calculated on a graduated scale using a percentage of the statewide average weekly wage.

Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, the prime sponsor of the legislation, described how her own family has struggled over the years while trying to deal with a variety of medical issues and related challenges due to the lack of access to family medical leave. She recalled how her mother, a school bus driver, had to return to work three weeks after giving birth to O’Mara’s younger sibling.

“She had to go back to work before the school year ended if she was going to keep health benefits through the summer. So, at three weeks postpartum, before she had seen her doctor, she was back to work and I was at home as an 18-year-old caring for a newborn baby,” O’Mara said ahead of the House vote. “You should not have to be lucky or hold a certain job to care for your family.”

That kind of struggle is not uncommon. Researchers say one-third of new moms return to work sooner than eight weeks after giving birth.

And O’Mara said polls show that 81% of Pennsylvanians say they support paid family leave policies.

“The United States of America is the only industrialized country in the world that does not offer leave to our workers,” O’Mara said. “If Washington isn’t going to get it done, then, frankly, colleagues, it is our responsibility to deliver for the people.”

Thirteen states require employers to provide paid medical leave, including Delaware, Maine and Minnesota, which began requiring paid leave in 2026. Delaware and Maine require employers to provide at least 12 weeks of leave. Minnesota requires them to provide at least 20 weeks of paid leave.

Other states requiring paid family leave are: California, Colorado, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Oregon and Maryland. California has required paid family leave since 2004.