(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has signed legislation that modifies existing state laws concerning Connecticut’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program (CT Paid Leave) to allow survivors of sexual assault to utilize this program if necessary to take time off work for the purposes of seeking care or participating in the criminal justice process.
The legislation also enables the governor to enter into an agreement with any of the state’s federally recognized tribes to authorize employees of the tribes to participate in the program.
CT Paid Leave was established by legislation Governor Lamont signed in 2019. It enables workers in the state to gain access to the necessary benefits that allows them to take time off work during certain situations to care for their own health, a newborn child, or a sick family member.
“We created this nationally recognized program several years ago to give Connecticut workers and their families the opportunity to confront some of life’s most difficult challenges without the added burden of having to choose between earning a paycheck and caring for the ones they love, or even themselves,” Governor Lamont said. “Updating our laws to make it clear that sexual assault is a reason why someone can use this program is simply common sense.”
The legislation is Public Act 24-5, An Act Concerning Changes to the Paid Family and Medical Leave Statutes. It takes effect October 1, 2024.