Governor Newsom Signs New Bills to Support California’s Families and Early Learning Providers
Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a series of bills including several crucial measures for our state’s young children, their families, and the Early Learning providers who support them.
On Thursday, September 17, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 1383, which expands Paid Family Leave to more families in California, a priority the Governor has committed to keeping despite the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 crisis. SB 1383 will now allow employees working with businesses with five employees or more the right to up to 12 weeks of leave to bond with a newborn, care for an ill family member or attend to a military obligation. Previously, employees of businesses with less than 50 employees paid into California’s Disability Leave system, but were often unable to enjoy its benefits, as they were not guaranteed the right to leave. Now, 60 million more California workers will be able to take leave from work, confident that they will keep their job. In addition, SB 1383 stipulates that if two parents both work for the same employer, they are both entitled to 12 weeks of leave; previous law permitted employers to compel the employees to split a single leave period between them.
On Friday, September 18, Governor Newsom signed SB 820 and AB 1876. SB 820 is a key measure to help ensure childcare and Early Learning choices remain available to families across California. SB 820 strengthens budget provisions enacted earlier this summer that are designed to hold Early Learning programs, providers, and teachers harmless as they work tirelessly to meet the needs of children and families. It provides critical funding for COVID-19 related needs, including funding for waiving family fees in Early Learning programs that were closed in July and August as well as providing support to providers to safely re-open their programs when permitted by local public health orders.
AB 1876 grants California’s undocumented families access to the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) and Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) programs, allowing them to keep more money in their pockets. The measure expands CalEITC eligibility to more families by removing the requirement that ITIN tax filers have at least one child under the age of six. This will begin on or after January 1, 2020 and will benefit 97% of children who are children of color, and 90% of children who are Latino. These are important programs for families as they grapple with the effects of the health crises and a struggling economy.
Early Edge California applauds Governor Newsom and the California Legislature for recognizing that our families and Early Learning providers need additional protections and supports during this unprecedented time. Thank you for your continued commitment to our state’s children and the providers who support them.
For full text of the bills, visit: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov