Recently, California’s Governor signed Senate Bill (SB) 590, which expands eligibility for benefits under the state paid family leave program to include individuals who take time off to care for a seriously ill designated person.

In 2022, the state passed Assembly Bill (AB) 1041, which allowed employees to take leave to care for a “designated person,” defined as any individual related by blood or whose association with the employee is equivalent to a family relationship. However, the state benefits did not change to cover these types of leaves. SB 590 specifically codifies and defines a “designated person” under Section 3302 of the Unemployment Insurance Code.

Commencing July 1, 2028, benefits under the state-paid family leave program will be available to employees caring for a designated person. When requesting family temporary disability insurance benefits to care for a designated person, the worker must both identify the individual and attest under penalty of perjury to the nature of the relationship, including either how the designated person is related by blood or how the worker’s association with the designated person is the equivalent of a family relationship.