A proposed bill at the State Capitol is proposing an insurance program to make all Wisconsin workers eligible for up to twelve weeks of paid leave for personal or family illness, or to care for a new child.

The Wisconsin Family Medical Leave Insurance Act (FMLIA) was introduced Wednesday.

The legislation creates an employee-funded state insurance fund to provide wage replacement for employees who take leave from work.

According to State Sen. Janis Ringhand (D-Evansville), employees would contribute between $2 to $3.50 per week. In turn, the FMLIA would cover 66 percent of wages for most workers and up to 95 percent of wages for workers with the lowest income.

“I’ve had to take time off without pay to care for my son after he broke his leg," said Ringhand. "Luckily my husband had a good union job that could support our family. Far too many families live paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford to take any time off. The FMLIA will help many hard working Wisconsin families."

In addition, the Act seeks to expand Wisconsin’s current Family Medical Leave law by allowing employees to take family leave to care for anyone covered under the current law plus grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, and any eligible employee who has an eligible family member deployed overseas by the military.

California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington have passed paid family medical leave laws. This is the third time the legislation has been introduced in Wisconsin.