Several New York lawmakers want to increase the state's short-term disability benefit — reviving a past spending fight after they failed to reform the decades-old cap last year.
The state's Temporary Disability Insurance program, or 26-week paid medical leave, has been capped at $170 per week since its inception in 1989. The benefit gives employees time off for long-term medical treatment due to a non-work-related injury, such as pregnancy or cancer.
"You can't really live on $170 a week in today's day and age with everything going up," said Assemblyman David Weprin, a Queens Democrat. "So I think now may be the time."
Weprin said the increase is decades overdue, and the state has a budget surplus to afford the hike.
Many Democrats want to renew the discussion as they fight to woo voters with a focus on affordability this session.
"I think as the Legislature, we're committed to getting it done," said Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, who chairs the state's Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus.
Solages penned an open letter about the cap to Gov. Kathy Hochul last month with Senate Labor Committee chair Jessica Ramos.
Hochul and legislative leaders have publicly backed raising the state's short-term disability payments, but it fell out of last year's $237 billion budget deal after the governor wanted to slash the benefit to 20% of a worker's average weekly wage in the second half of the program.
Legislation to raise the cap cleared the Senate last year, but stalled in the Assembly after Hochul's suspension of congestion pricing at the 11th hour.
About 30% of disability claims are pregnancy-related, and lawmakers want to expand the benefit to women who experience a stillbirth.
"We're in a time where we have hyperinflation, you know, we're going through trade wars, the price of everything is going up," Solages said. "We have to put forth common-sense solutions that provide financial stability to New Yorkers."
Ramos, who is running for New York City mayor, said a higher disability benefit will allow workers to take care of themselves. The current cap is out of step with the current cost of living and other paid leave programs in the state, she added.
"We want to make sure that we're bringing all these safety nets up to the reality of today's economy," Ramos told Spectrum News 1.
Past legislation has proposed increasing the cap over several years, or to gradually increase it based on an employee's average weekly wage.
Several Republican lawmakers back increasing the short-term disability cap, with five senators in the minority voting against the proposal last year.
But other Republicans agree with business groups across the state that oppose the hike in fear it would place undue burdens on businesses that struggle to keep up with New York's high cost of living.
Lawmakers could make the change inside or outside the budget.
"It was going to take a little time for us to iron out all of those wrinkles and we're still working on it," Ramos said. "I'm hoping we can really deliver in this year's budget."