On April 20, New York State’s 2025 budget was signed into law. Early in 2024, Governor Hochul announced a plan to increase the maximum benefit for paid medical and disability leave (currently $170 per week) for the first time in 35 years. This proposal did not make its way into the final 2025 budget.

Among its numerous provisions, the new law contains several employee benefit items:

• Effective January 1, 2025, employees may use 20 hours of paid leave for prenatal care (defined broadly to include all care related to pregnancy). Leave can be taken in 1 hour increments, and is available as of 1/1/25 with no accrual schedule.

• Effective June 19, 2024, employees will have 30 minutes of paid time for lactation 

• As of July 31, 2025, the New York paid leave for COVID requirement will expire

The enacted proposals can be viewed in their entirety on the New York Assembly website.