Board of Directors Board President Lois Thompson Partner Proskauer Rose LLP Board Treasurer Chris Hollinger Partner O’Melveny & Myers LLP Board Secretary Cathy Kim Director, Corporate Development Arzon Solar, Inc. Members Tony Blain Principal Blain & Associates Samantha Caldwell Vice President, Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary Health Net Inc. Christa M. Demeke Counsel Roll Law Group P.C. Truc Do Partner Jones Day LLP Mira El Sonbaty Senior Counsel, Privacy Fox Group Legal Theane Evangelis Partner Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP Mayra Fornos Founder Fornos Law Firm Victor George Principal Law Offices of Victor George Esra Hudson Partner Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP Shawn Khorrami Principal Khorrami Boucher LLP Edie Mermelstein, Esq. Law Offices of F. Edie Mermelstein Pamela Palmer Partner Pepper Hamilton LLP Laura Petroff Partner Winston & Strawn LLP Interim Executive Director March 25, 2015 The Hon. Tom Daly Chair, Committee on Insurance State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 Re: Support for AB 908 (Gomez) Dear Assemblymember Daly: On behalf of the California Women’s Law Center, I am writing in support of AB 908 (Gomez). This bill will strengthen California’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) program to allow workers to take time off to care for a new child or ill family member without risking severe financial hardship by increasing the wage replacement rate and extending the length of time a worker can receive PFL benefits. CWLC is the first law center in California solely dedicated to addressing the comprehensive and unique legal needs of women and girls. Since its founding in 1989, CWLC has worked to eliminate the barriers that keep women and girls in poverty and advance the potential of women and girls through transformative litigation, policy advocacy and education. California’s PFL program was the first in the nation to provide 55% wage replacement for up to six weeks of leave for workers to bond with a new child or care for an ill loved one, but many low-income workers do not participate in the program because the wage replacement level is too low to be able to afford to take time away from their job. CWLC supports increasing the wage replacement rate by 15% to 25% to provide meaningful financial support to employees who fund the program through deductions from their paychecks. Further, we are happy AB 908 will extend paid leave by four weeks, which can improve early child development and have positive physical and mental effects for families and children. AB 908 is an important step in ensuring that all Californian employees can be there for their families without facing economic hardship. CWLC urges your support for AB 908. Sincerely, Betsy Butler Interim Executive Director Betsy Butler Cc: Assemlymember Jimmy Gomez 360 North Sepulveda Boulevard, Suite 2070 | El Segundo, CA 90245 Phone: 323-951-1041 | Fax: 323-951-9870 Email: [email protected] | Web: cwlc.org