Employers would be able to voluntarily purchase family medical leave plans for their workers under legislation proposed during the recent National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) summer meeting.

The bipartisan Paid Family Leave Insurance Model Act is sponsored by Paul Utke, a Republican state senator from Minnesota, and Deborah Ferguson, DDS, a Democratic state representative from Arkansas. Policies would pay benefits:

• After the birth of a child or adoption of a child by an employee;
• When a child is placed with an employee for foster care;
• To help an employee care for a family member who has a serious health condition; or
• When an employee's family member in the military is on active duty or has been called to active duty status.

The proposal is similar to bipartisan legislation signed into law by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin earlier this year.