New Bipartisan Bill Advances Paid Family and Medical Leave in Ohio

By Caitlin Feasby Feldman, Senior Director of Policy

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Ohio Families Deserve Paid Leave

When a baby arrives, Ohio parents deserve to focus on healing, bonding, and adjusting to life with a new child - not worrying about how they will cover expenses if a paycheck disappears. Yet for most workers in Ohio, this is the reality.

Today, approximately 4.5 million Ohio workers - about 76% of the workforce - do not have access to paid family leave through their employer. For many parents, this means returning to work before they are physically recovered, or before they have had meaningful time to bond with their child. For adoptive, foster, and kinship caregivers, it can also mean losing valuable time needed to help a child adjust to a life-changing transition. Without access to this pro-family policy, parents face impossible choices: return to work too soon, lose income, or sacrifice precious early bonding time with a new child.

A Long Fight for Progress

In October 2024, Groundwork Ohio published The Case for Paid Family Leave in Ohio, a comprehensive landscape analysis delving into the legislative history, barriers, and benefits of paid family leave. The report documented what many advocates already understood – that despite clear evidence that paid family leave improves outcomes for children, parents, employers, and the economy, Ohio had struggled for years to move a statewide policy forward.

Still, families and advocates have not lost sight of what this policy means for hardworking, everyday Ohioans, who have continued to welcome babies, navigate medical crises, and balance child care accessibility and affordability barriers that strain families from every direction. Advocates have continued organizing, educating, and building support, understanding that meaningful systems change is often gradual and rarely linear.

Thanks to the leadership of Time to Care Ohio (TTCO), a growing coalition working to advance a statewide paid leave policy for Ohioans, this progress is more tangible than ever.

On March 23, 2026, Senator Blessing (R-Colerain Township) and Senator Liston (D-Dublin) introduced bipartisan legislation in the Ohio Senate to address the longstanding gap in access to paid family leave for Ohio workers. Ohio Senate Bill 396 would establish a state-level family and medical leave insurance benefit by offering a 0.4% payroll contribution shared by workers and employers (about $0.40 for every $100 in wages). The proposal includes certain exemptions for smaller employers and would allow eligible workers to take up to 14 weeks of leave for a qualifying event while receiving 85% of the worker’s wages, capped at $100,000.

A Boost to the Economy

Paid family and medical leave is not just a family policy, but a smart economic strategy. Research consistently shows that paid leave helps reduce employee turnover, improve retention, increase productivity, and lower the substantial costs associated with hiring and training new workers. At a time when many Ohio employers are focused on attracting and keeping talent, paid leave can strengthen workforce participation while helping businesses attract and retain experienced employees when life events arise.

For small and mid-sized employers, a statewide insurance model can be especially valuable. While many large corporations have the resources to independently offer paid leave benefits, smaller businesses often struggle to compete with those benefit packages despite wanting to support their employees. A shared-cost public leave program helps level the playing field, giving businesses of all sizes a stronger ability to recruit workers, support families, and remain competitive. Paid leave is an investment in a more stable workforce, stronger businesses, and healthier communities.

Real Families, Real Impact

During a press conference on April 23, Senate Bill 396’s sponsors were joined by an Ohio parent and small business owner, Madison Greenspan, who shared a powerful reminder of what is at stake. Madison described her personal experience birthing twin daughters at just 28 weeks, weighing two pounds, seven ounces. Her babies spent their earliest weeks in the NICU receiving life-saving medical care. During that already overwhelming time, Madison and her husband also faced difficult financial decisions about work, income, housing, food, and how to spend precious time beside their daughters at the hospital, and later at home.

Her story reflects the experience of many Ohio parents caught in the crosshairs of doing what is right to care for their family, and keeping their family fed and sheltered. Paid leave is often discussed as a workplace policy, but at its core it is a family stability policy, a maternal and infant health policy, and an economic security policy. It gives parents time to recover from childbirth, establish breastfeeding routines, attend pediatric appointments, and respond to medical complications without the added trauma of losing income. It allows caregivers to show up when their families need them most.

What’s Next? How to Get Involved

As a member of Time to Care Ohio, Groundwork is proud to celebrate this milestone alongside members of the coalition and advocates across the state. There is still work ahead, but for the first time in some time, paid family leave in Ohio is an active policy conversation.

Interested in getting involved?

• Join the coalition. The TTCO coalition is welcoming new members - learn more: Time to Care Ohio

• Tell your state Senator this is important to you. Click here to identify your Senator, and either call or send a message to their office expressing your support for this bill.

• Share your story. Do you have a personal story about paid leave? Share it with the TTCO coalition and have your voice heard: Time to Care Ohio Story Collection