Caring for extended or 'chosen' family members? Newsom signs bill allowing paid leave

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill that would allow paid family leave for Californians caring for extended or “chosen” family members, including neighbors and friends.

Under California’s paid family leave program, workers can get up to eight weeks of paid time off to care for “a seriously ill family member.” That includes caring for a child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or domestic partner.

SB 590 would expand the definition to include “designated persons,” which would include extended family members or other loved ones with whom a caregiver has the “equivalent of a family relationship.” About 10% of Californians live with someone who is not defined as a family member, according to the California Budget & Policy Center.

Advocates say immigrant populations, seniors, and members of the LGBTQ community disproportionately rely on caregivers who they’re not biologically related to or have a legal relationship with.

For instance, older adults might rely on neighbors for help, said Shazzy Kamali, senior attorney at Legal Aid at Work, which was a co-sponsor of the bill.

“ They need help with going to medical appointments. They need help with day-to-day tasks, perhaps recovering from surgery, and increasingly, people live far away from their family,” Kamali said. “Those kinds of things can necessitate needing to look outside of the biological family for care.”

The AARP also co-sponsored the measure. Kamali said the bill would align with the California Family Rights Act, which allows for unpaid time off to care for a “designated person.”

California will join at least seven states, including Colorado and Connecticut, that cover “chosen family” members in their paid family leave programs. The law takes effect July 1, 2028.