From: LIFE Lobby / LIFE Institute Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 15:44:44 Subject: CA: Senator Hayden Introduces Domestic Partner Legislation For Immediate Release February 10, 1998 Contacts: Joe Hall, Legislative Assistant (916) 445-1353 Office of Senator Tom Hayden Ellen McCormick, Legislative Advocate (916) 444-0424 LIFE: California's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and HIV/AIDS Lobby SENATOR HAYDEN INTRODUCES DOMESTIC PARTNERS EXPANSION TO FAMILY CARE AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT Sacramento - As part of his 1998 Legislative package, Senator Tom Hayden (D-Los Angeles) introduced legislation to allow domestic partners and siblings to qualify for California's Family Care and Medical Leave Act and take unpaid medical leave to care for their partner or sibling. "SB 1506 is necessary for unmarried individuals to care for their partners or siblings during times of serious illness or hospitalization," said Senator Hayden. "Often when individuals are faced with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, their primary caregivers are forced to lie to their employers in order to take the necessary time off to care for their partner or sibling; or they are not allowed the time off at all - this problem adds insult to injury in a serious time of need." Existing California law allows parents and spouses to take unpaid medical leave to care for a child or spouse for up to twelve weeks. SB 1506 would add "sibling" and "a person who depends on the employee for immediate care and support, who shares a common residence with the employee" to the list of individuals allowed to take unpaid medical leave to care for another in a time of serious illness. Among the beneficial aspects of this measure, SB 1506: * applies only to large businesses with 50 or more employees; * allows an employee to take unpaid medical leave, or use accrued vacation time, or other accumulated time off and will not cost California's employers any additional dollars; * provides individuals with lower health care costs by allowing a non-spouse primary caregiver or sibling to act as a home health care nurse; and * saves taxpayer dollars by lessening the need for a licensed home health care nurse that would have been provided by Medi-Cal, or by another taxpayer subsidized health care program. Simply put, SB 1506 allows individuals to have their primary caregivers with them in their most serious time of need. ## If you would like more information about SB 1506 or any other gay, lesbian or HIV-related legislation, please contact Joe Hall or Ellen McCormick at the numbers listed above. Interested individuals and organizations are encouraged to send letters of support to Senator Tom Hayden, and to send copies of their letters to the Senate Judiciary Committee and to the LIFE Lobby at the address below. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This message has been brought to you by LIFE: California's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and HIV/AIDS Lobby. LIFE has been lobbying on behalf of California's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV-affected communities since 1986. LIFE is the oldest and largest institution representing these communities in California's State Capitol and is proud to celebrate over a decade of service. If you would like further information about current LGBT legislation, LIFE activities, events or membership please contact our office or go to our web site at: LIFE: California's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and HIV/AIDS Lobby 1301 H Street Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 444-0424 fax (916) 444-3059