SB3 proposed creating a state-run Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program, offering up to 12 weeks of paid leave for workers needing time off for serious health conditions, caregiving, bonding with a child, or military-related leave. Funded through payroll taxes (0.5% from employees and 0.4% from employers), the program would begin in 2028 and adjust rates annually to remain solvent.
The New Mexico State House of Representatives rejected SB3 on February 14, 2024 by a vote of 34 to 36. We have assigned pluses to the nays because government intervention in private business operations undermines the free market. Additionally, this greatly expands the burden on taxpayers to pay for government employees' medical leave. Decisions about employee benefits, such as paid medical leave, should be left to businesses to determine based on market competition, which naturally incentivizes employers to provide attractive benefits to retain and recruit workers.
