(January 31, 2011) Legislation has been introduced to expand the circumstances under which an employee may take protected leave under state law.

AB 59 (Swanson; D-Alameda) changes the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) for employers of 50 or more by:

• eliminating the age and dependency elements from the definition of “child,” thereby permitting an employee to take protected leave to care for his/her independent adult child suffering from a serious health condition;
  
• expanding the definition of “parent” to include an employee’s parent-in-law; and
  
• permitting an employee to also take leave to care for a seriously ill grandparent, sibling, grandchild or domestic partner.
  

Current law allows an employee to take up to 12 workweeks of protected leave in a 12-month period. The employee must have worked for the employer for 12 months and have at least 1,250 hours of service in the previous 12-month period.

AB 59 has not yet been assigned to a committee.

Staff Contact: Jennifer Barrera