Washington State lawmakers reach deal on paid family leave for all workers

OLYMPIA — Workers in Washington would enjoy the best paid family leave benefits in the nation under a tentative accord reached by Democratic and Republican lawmakers late Wednesday.

“We’ve reached agreement on a framework,” Rep. June Robinson, D-Everett, said Thursday. “It will be the strongest policy in the country.”

It’s not a done deal. Details must still be written into legislation and approved by the House and Senate. But legislators involved in the negotiations sounded confident Thursday the paid-leave program created a decade ago but never implemented will soon get off the ground.

“I’m very pleased with the results of the negotiation,” said Sen. Joe Fain, R-Auburn. “This reflects a compromise that will support growing families, allowing new moms and dads to spend critical time with their children as well as giving individuals facing a temporary disability the time to recover.

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