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8/20/2025
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Lawmakers gather for signing of extended paid family leave law
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 STATE HOUSE — Governor Dan McKee was joined by bill sponsors Senate President Valarie J. Lawson and Rep. Joshua J. Giraldo, RI AFL-CIO President Patrick Crowley and other local advocates for a ceremonial bill signing to mark the expansion of paid family leave in Rhode Island through the Temporary Caregiver Insurance program (TCI).
The legislation (2025-S 0974aa, 2025-H 6066A) will raise the Temporary Disability Insurance and TCI wage replacement rates from the current 60% to 70% starting in January 2027, followed by 75% in January 2028.
“Rhode Island was once a national leader in providing paid time off for workers to spend with a new child or a sick loved one, but we have fallen behind other states. This puts our state at a competitive disadvantage when competing for talent, and it is unfair to workers who need that time at critical periods in their lives. A society in which people have the time to bond with their babies and care for their loved ones is a healthier society, in every sense of the word. This proven program is funded not through employers but through a modest assessment on the workers themselves. It is an investment in our workforce and in our children, one that will pay off for generations,” said President Lawson (D-Dist. 14, East Providence).
In 2024, Governor McKee signed legislation into law — sponsored by then Senate Majority Whip Lawson and Representative Giraldo — that expanded Rhode Island’s Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI) program from six weeks to eight. The first of this phase provided seven weeks to workers beginning January 1, 2025, and will move to eight weeks beginning January 1, 2026.
“No one should ever have to choose between their job and their family,” said Representative Giraldo (D-Dist. 56, Central Falls). “By increasing the wage reimbursement, we can help ease the burden of those who have to care for loved ones. I know from my own experience as a father of a daughter born prematurely that the gift of time that TCI provides is priceless.”
“By expanding paid family leave, we are reinforcing the message that workers in Rhode Island should not have to choose between their paycheck and their family,” said Governor Dan McKee. “This expansion of the wage replacement rate helps us stay competitive and a national leader on this issue.”
“A decent society protects the vulnerable when they need help the most,” said Patrick Crowley, President of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. “Union members across Rhode Island understand strong economies are built by people, and in Rhode Island, we take care of each other. Thank you to Senate President Lawson, Representative Giraldo and Governor McKee for making these important improvements to TDI and TCI.”
In 2013, Rhode Island became the third state in the nation to offer paid parental leave when the TCI program was created.
For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922
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