On the message and ordinance referred on March 31, 2021, Docket #0481, Amending the City of Boston Code, Section 5-5.20, Paid Parental Leave for City of Boston Employees, the committee submitted a report recommending that the ordinance ought to pass. The report was accepted; the ordinance was passed.
Docket 0481, the Committee on Government Operations, to which is referred on March 31st, 2021. Docket number 0481. Ordinance Amending the City of Boston Code Section five. Dash 5.20. Paid parental leave for the City of Boston employees submit a report recommending that the order ought to pass. Thank you. The chair now recognizes Councilor Lydia Edwards, chair of the Committee on Government Operations. Chair Edwards, you have the floor. First, I want to thank my co-sponsors, Counselor Michelle Wu and counselor Anita Sobhy George, for their support and upgrading our parental leave policies. This upgrade is essentially a for loss of pregnancy to be part of the reasons that any potential parent can also request leave from the city of Boston. It is a suggestion of compassion. It is a suggestion of acknowledging that many people on this path have encountered difficulties, and it's an acknowledgment in modernizing our parental leave laws. Now, we had a robust hearing about this when we realized many of the regulations that support this also need to be updated, that the language is entirely gendered . It's also oftentimes based off on whether you're married to your partner. And those things are all we found to be no longer relevant and not really reflective of the diversity of the parents that we have in the city of Boston. So we did make several suggestions to the Human Rights Commission excuse me, to the H.R. department of the city of Boston. But today is about the specific language on the ordinance, and there are some changes, including loss of pregnancy as a reason, and also upgrading it to the 12 weeks, making it consistent with what the administration had already done. I also want to thank you, Councilor O'Malley, and help me and my vision in my heart to be open up to the impact on a lot of our male parents who are impacted by also loss of pregnancy. I think your testimony was by far one of the most powerful that day, along, of course, with counselors Abby, George and counselor shows and us and also Councilor Julie me here in talking about their pathways to becoming parents and why this is so necessary to be open to all pathways and all forms of parenting. So I hope that you will my colleagues will vote to pass this amendment. And that is that is all. Thank you. And that's my co-sponsor, 70. Thank you. Thank you, Chair Edwards. So no further discussion on docket 0481. Councilor Lydia Edwards in concert with counselor Michelle Will. In Concert Necessity, George seeks acceptance of the committee report and passage of Docket 0481. All those in favor please indicate by saying I oppose nay. The ayes have it. The docket has passed. Congratulations, Madam Clerk, would you now please read docket 0773 Docket 0773.