Eight states and Washington D.C. have approved legislation to create paid family and medical leave insurance programs. California was the first state to pass a paid family leave law in 2002. This was followed by New Jersey in (2009), Rhode Island (2014), New York (2016), Washington state (2017), Washington D.C. (2017), Massachusetts (2018), Connecticut (2019) and Oregon (2019). Benefit payments have not yet or have recently begun in several states. DC’s benefit payments began in July, 2020. Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Oregon won’t start paying benefits until 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively. Puerto Rico passed a paid family leave law in 2017 is simply a mandate on employers to pay workers on maternity leave at their regular rate of pay. The law did not require the creation of an insurance program or funding mechanism.
In all of the states, you can take leave to care for a newborn or adopted child, a seriously ill family member, or your own serious health condition. Several states provide leave for military caregivers and victims of domestic or sexual abuse.