Think Tanks Release Compromise Proposal For Paid Parental Leave

The American Enterprise Institute (AEI)-Brookings Working Group on Paid Family Leave has issued a new report analyzing the costs and benefits of implementing a national paid leave program, and laying out a compromise proposal for lawmakers to consider. The compromise outlined in the report—Paid Family and Medical Leave: An Issue Whose Time Has Come—suggests providing parents eight weeks of paid parental leave, during which they would be entitled to 70% of their wages up to $600 per week. The proposal includes job protection provisions, and would be funded through payroll taxes and other budget savings. While this proposal has not yet been introduced as standalone legislation, the president's focus on paid leave—both during the campaign and through his budget proposal—indicates policymakers will be looking closely at this issue.