If you want to spend time with your newborn, make plans now to land a job in the nation’s capital.

A bill introduced by a majority of the Washington, D.C. council today would guarantee 16 weeks of paid family leave for residents of the capital city, the Washington Post reported.

The newspaper noted that some version of the legislation will likely be approved, since a majority of the members already support it.

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Highlights of the proposed law include:

Those on leave would receive 100 percent of their salaries, up to $52,000 a year.
Those earning above $52,000 would receive $1,000 a week and 50 percent of their income, with a $3,000 cap.
Residents of Maryland and Virginia who work for the federal government would not be covered by the law.
The law would be funded by a tax on district employers.

“The District of Columbia would become the most generous place in the country for a worker to take time off after giving birth or to care for a dying parent under legislation to be introduced today and supported by a majority of the D.C. Council,” said a spokesperson for the Disability Management Employer Coalition.

“The D.C. legislation would more than double the length of any paid-leave program in the country. Only three states have enacted such laws over the past 10 years. Currently, the maximum benefit is six weeks of partial paid leave in New Jersey and California.”

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Generous family leave law proposed for Washington, D.C. residents

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