State reps from Delco urge passage of paid family leave legislation
In Media last week, two state representatives from Delaware County joined other officials and advocates in calling for the passage of bipartisan legislation that would create a family and medical leave insurance program in Pennsylvania.
House Bill 200, also known as the Family Care Act, cleared the Pennsylvania House Labor and Industry Committee in March 2025 and is currently pending before the full House.
State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, the legislation’s sponsor, and fellow Delco Democrat Lisa Borowski both voiced strong support for the bill during a March 17 press conference at the Delaware County Government Center.
“Every family deserves that benefit without worrying if they’re going to get paid,” O’Mara said. “We’re all going to be put in that position, whether we’re taking care of ourselves, our children, or our family, and it’s time that we as lawmakers step up for the people of Pennsylvania.”
Borowski pointed out that paid family leave is “not just about new babies” — it’s also critical for people who are caring for aging parents. “As our communities age, as our parents age, as our loved ones are aging, we see it now on the back end,” she said.
If passed, the Family Care Act would provide eligible Pennsylvanians up to 20 weeks of paid leave for reasons such as bonding with a newborn or newly adopted child, caring for elderly or disabled loved ones, supporting a child recovering from a serious illness, finding safety from domestic violence, or recovering from a personal illness or injury.
According to the co-sponsorship memo, the program would be administered by the Department of Labor and Industry, which would make “modest payroll contributions to support the program.” Benefits would be calculated on a graduated scale, using a percentage of the statewide average weekly wage. The bill also allows employers to use private insurers if their benefits meet or exceed state standards.
But critics of the legislation, including former state Rep. Seth Grove (R-Dover Township), have reportedly pointed out that the Department of Labor and Industry struggled to manage an unemployment case backlog during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I have a real problem with handing this large of a program over to an agency that has repeatedly failed in the unemployment compensation system, time and time again,” Grove, previously the minority chair of the House Labor and Industry Committee, said in 2025.
Joining O’Mara and Borowski at the March 17 press conference in support of the Family Leave Act was state Rep. Napoleon Nelson (D-Montgomery). Also in attendance were advocates including Dan O’Brien, policy director of family economic stability at Children First and co-chair of the PA Family Care Coalition; Daina Tate, a doula and maternal workforce advocate; and Michael Kellerman, president of The Foundation for Delaware County.
O’Brien said at the press conference that 4 million Pennsylvanians don’t have paid leave, and 81% of Pennsylvanians believe a statewide paid leave program should be enacted. The Family Care Act has 88 co-sponsors in the House, including five Republicans, and according to O’Mara it has the support of more than 60% of senators.
