Legislation to Provide Parental Leave for Lawmakers Clears Committee

SB22-184 would guarantee up to twelve weeks of parental leave for members of the legislature

DENVER, CO - The State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee today passed President Steve Fenberg (D-Boulder) and Senator Brittany Pettersen (D-Lakewood)’s bill to offer parental leave to members of the legislature.

Currently, members of the General Assembly who have been absent for parental leave have had their absences excused under an existing long-term illness exception. SB22-184 would codify existing law and allow a member of the General Assembly to take up to twelve weeks of parental leave.

“As the legislature becomes more diverse, we must adapt and ensure we’re removing barriers that may prevent people from running for office," said Fenberg. “By updating our parental leave policies, we’re charting a path towards an even more representative legislature that is reflective of our state’s population.”

“I was stunned to find out two years ago that the legislature did not have a parental leave policy in place when I was preparing to be gone to take care of my newborn son, Davis. Not only that, I was the first person in our state’s history that had taken parental leave during session, so it was a situation we had never dealt with before,” Pettersen said. “This is an incredibly important change that we need to make to ensure the opportunity to serve in the legislature is available to new parents who bring a critical lens and life experience that is far too often unrepresented.”

SB22-184 would also allow for an additional four weeks for a serious health condition related to pregnancy or childbirth complications without a loss of compensation.

The bill now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration. Track the progress of the bill HERE.