New York Gov. Hochul expands 12-week paid family leave for state employees

A new policy from Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration will allow 12 weeks of paid parental leave for over 10,000 state employees.

Administration officials said they will work to expand the policy to cover more than 170,000 unionized state employees through the collective bargaining process. The Hochul administration called its paid parental leave initiative "nation-leading" among the patchwork of federal, state and local leave policies.

"The dedicated New Yorkers who keep our state moving should not be forced to choose between a paycheck and caring for their child, and this policy will establish New York state as a model for helping working families," Hochul said in a prepared release.