New York State will implement paid prenatal leave starting next January.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced on the 2nd that “20 hours of ‘Paid Prenatal Leave’ will be implemented starting January 1st of next year.”
This is a new 20-hour paid prenatal leave added to the existing New York State Paid Family Leave (PFL) program. The implementation of paid prenatal leave is the first of its kind in the U.S. It is estimated that 130,000 pregnant women in the state will benefit each year.
The state Labor Department estimates that about 65,800 of them will be hourly workers.
“No pregnant woman in the state should have to choose between work and health care,” said Governor Hochul. “This policy, which was signed into law last April, will be of real help to all pregnant women in the state, especially those facing economic hardship, when it goes into effect next January.”
However, the 20 hours of paid prenatal leave is half the 40 hours of paid prenatal leave that the governor announced in his New Year’s address earlier this year.
Pregnant women who receive paid prenatal leave can receive medical services such as physical examinations, prenatal examinations, infertility treatment, and abortion. Meanwhile, it is expected to contribute to reducing maternal and infant mortality rates, as statistics show that pregnant women who receive prenatal care are less likely to die during childbirth.