Federal Spotlight: President’s budget includes employer provided paid family leave

June 1, 2017

President Donald Trump recently released his budget for fiscal year 2018. It proposes many policy objectives to boost the economy, provide long term stability concerning U.S. debt and deficits, and strengthening the military. Some of the proposals include:

  • Allocating $639 billion for the Department of Defense – a $52 billion increase from the 2017 continuing resolution
  • Overhauling the tax code
  • Achieving $250 billion in savings from repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act
  • Providing an infrastructure plan to support $1 trillion private/public infrastructure investment
  • Reducing burdensome federal regulations and streamlining the permitting process
  • Reforming a variety of social programs

 According to Strategic Services on Unemployment & Workers’ Compensation (UWC), a national organization focusing on unemployment and workers’ compensation policies, the budget also proposes requiring paid paternal leave of six weeks to new mothers and fathers. It would cost $18.5 billion over ten years ending in 2027. The program would be funded by increases to employers’ state unemployment insurance taxes, improved program integrity and savings from improved eligibility assessments and reemployment services. Click here to read more from UWC. You can read the entire budget summary here.