(a) (1) The purpose of this chapter is to establish, within the state disability insurance program, a family temporary disability insurance program. Family temporary disability insurance shall provide up to eight weeks of wage replacement benefits to workers who take time off work to care for a seriously ill child, spouse, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, or domestic partner, to bond with a minor child within one year of the birth or placement of the child in connection with foster care or adoption, or to participate in a qualifying exigency related to the covered active duty or call to covered active duty of the individual’s spouse, domestic partner, child, or parent in the Armed Forces of the United States.

(2) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to abridge the rights and responsibilities conveyed under the CFRA or pregnancy disability leave.

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(b) (1) An individual’s “weekly benefit amount” for periods of disability commencing before January 1, 2025, shall be the amount provided in Section 2655, and for periods of disability commencing on or after January 1, 2025, shall be the amount provided in paragraph (2). An individual is eligible to receive family temporary disability insurance benefits equal to one-seventh of the individual’s weekly benefit amount for each full day during which the individual is unable to work due to caring for a seriously ill or injured family member, bonding with a minor child within one year of the birth or placement of the child in connection with foster care or adoption, or participating in a qualifying exigency related to the covered active duty or call to covered active duty of the individual’s spouse, domestic partner, child, or parent in the Armed Forces of the United States.

(2) For periods of disability commencing on or after January 1, 2025, the weekly benefit amount shall be as follows:

(A) When the amount of wages paid to the individual for employment by employers during the quarter of the individual’s disability base period in which these wages were highest is less than seven hundred twenty-two dollars and fifty cents ($722.50), then fifty dollars ($50).

(B) When the amount of wages paid to the individual for employment by employers during the quarter of the individual’s disability base period in which these wages were highest is more than 70 percent of the state average quarterly wage, the weekly benefit amount shall be equal to the greater of 70 percent of the wages paid to an individual for employment by employers during the quarter of the individual’s disability base period in which these wages were highest, divided by 13, but not exceeding the maximum workers’ compensation temporary disability indemnity weekly benefit amount established by the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to § 4453 of the Labor Code, or 63 percent of the state average weekly wage.

(C) When the amount of wages paid to the individual for employment by employers during the quarter of the individual’s disability base period in which these wages were highest is seven hundred twenty-two dollars and fifty cents ($722.50) or more, but 70 percent or less than the state average quarterly wage, then the weekly benefit amount shall be equal to 90 percent of the wages paid to an individual for employment by employers during the quarter of the individual’s disability base period in which these wages were highest, divided by 13, but not exceeding the maximum workers’ compensation temporary disability indemnity weekly benefit amount established by the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to § 4453 of the Labor Code.

(3) For purposes of this subdivision, “state average weekly wage” and “state average quarterly wage” have the same meanings as defined in subdivision (g) of Section 2655.

(c) The maximum amount payable to an individual during any disability benefit period for family temporary disability insurance shall be eight times the individual’s “weekly benefit amount,” but in no case shall the total amount of benefits payable be more than the total wages paid to the individual during the individual’s disability base period. If the benefit is not a multiple of one dollar ($1), it shall be computed to the next higher multiple of one dollar ($1).

(d) No more than eight weeks of family temporary disability insurance benefits shall be paid within any 12-month period.

(e) An individual shall file a claim for family temporary disability insurance benefits not later than the 41st consecutive day following the first compensable day with respect to which the claim is made for benefits, which time shall be extended by the department upon a showing of good cause. If a first claim is not complete, the claim form shall be returned to the claimant for completion and it shall be completed and returned not later than the 10th consecutive day after the date it was mailed by the department to the claimant, except that such time shall be extended by the department upon a showing of good cause.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 878, Sec. 3. (SB 951) Effective January 1, 2023.)