“North Carolina moms applaud Gov. Josh Stein for signing the Public Workforce Modernization Act into law this afternoon. This bill, which our legislators passed late last week, will make our state healthier and more successful by expanding paid parental leave policies for state, public school, and community college employees to 12 weeks for full-time workers. In doing so, it will help address the affordability crisis facing families working for the state.

“The new law provides leave for a newborn biological child or a newly placed adopted, foster, or otherwise legally placed child under age 18 whose parent is a leave-eligible state employee. It also provides prorated leave for part-time state employees, and paid leave following a miscarriage or death of a child during birth.

“Moms commend Gov. Stein for moving so quickly to sign it into law. It will strengthen our state government and the people it serves, allowing more moms and other caregivers to stay in the workforce, easing state government labor shortages, and boosting working families’ economic security. This is a meaningful and very welcome step forward – but we will continue working to convince lawmakers to adopt laws that ensure every North Carolinian, in the private sector too, can access paid family and medical leave when serious illness strikes or a baby or other relative needs care.”