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Washington Legislature passes paid family leave measure

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Washington Legislature has approved a paid family leave program that offers workers paid time off for the birth or adoption of a child or the serious medical condition of the worker or the worker's family member.

Cute little newborn baby boy lying on bed, sleeping, hands up. Close up.

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Washington Legislature has approved a paid family leave program that offers workers paid time off for the birth or adoption of a child or the serious medical condition of the worker or the worker's family member.

The measure passed the House on a 65-29 vote Friday shortly after the Senate passed it on a 37-12 vote. It now goes to Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature.

The bill, which was a compromise reached between Republicans and Democrats after weeks of negotiation, offers eligible workers 12 weeks of either leave beginning in 2020, or 16 weeks for a combination of both. An additional two weeks may be used if there is a serious health condition with a pregnancy.

Under the measure, both employers and employees pay into the system, and weekly benefits are calculated based on a percentage of the employee's wages and the state's weekly average wage.

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