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A 3627

Relates to excused absence of a public employee for mental health purposes

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jo Anne Simon

Creates protected, excused mental health leave for public employees, shielding them from retaliation and enabling time off to address mental health needs.

REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEES
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Bill Summary · A 3627

Bill A 3627 — Excused absence of a public employee for mental health purposes

Overview

Bill A 3627, introduced January 29, 2025, seeks to establish excused absence for public employees to address mental health needs. The bill is currently in early stages and has been REFERRED TO THE GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEES committee. Jo Anne Simon is listed as the primary sponsor. The bill’s status and related companion/related bills indicate ongoing interest in establishing formal mental health excuse leave across sessions.

Purpose and Intent

  • Establish a statutory basis for excused absence from work for public employees for mental health reasons.
  • Create a protected mechanism for employees to take time away from work to attend to mental health concerns without facing negative employment consequences.

Note: The specific operational details (e.g., whether the leave is paid or unpaid, the allowed number of days, documentation requirements, accrual treatment, or how it interacts with existing leave policies) are not provided in the available information. The exact terms would be set forth in the bill’s text.

Key Provisions to Look For (not specified in the provided summary)

When the full text becomes available, readers should review for:
- Scope: Which public employers and employee classes are covered (all state and local public employees, or limited subsets).
- Duration: Number of excused mental health days permitted and any caps or limits (annual or cumulative).
- Pay Status: Whether the leave is paid, unpaid, or paid through existing leave banks (vacation, sick leave, personal leave, or a separate mental health leave pool).
- Procedures: Notice requirements, medical or supervisory documentation (if any), and return-to-work conditions.
- Protections: Anti-retaliation provisions, confidentiality of mental health information, and protections against discrimination or adverse actions.
- Interaction with other leave: How this leave intersects with FMLA-style or other statutory leaves and with collective bargaining agreements.
- Agency administration: Roles of agencies in implementing and monitoring the leave policy.

Affected Parties

  • Primary: Public employees who would be eligible for mental health excused absence.
  • Employers: Governmental agencies and departments responsible for human resources and leave administration.
  • Unions/organizational representatives: Potential impacts on contract language and bargaining.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Introduced: January 29, 2025.
  • Current stage: Referred to the Governmental Employees committee (with at least one duplicate entry noted in the legislative actions).
  • Related activity: There are prior-session related bills (A 8563, A 2308, A 7876) and companion bills (S 4523) which may inform the intended framework and provide context for amendments or convergence in later actions.

Related Legislation

  • A 8563 (prior-session)
  • A 2308 (prior-session)
  • A 7876 (prior-session)
  • S 4523 (companion) — listed as a companion in two entries

Potential Impacts

  • Positive: Provides formal recognition and protection for employees seeking mental health time, potentially reducing stigma and improving well-being and productivity.
  • Administrative: Requires policy development, training, and systems to track and protect leave; potential budgetary implications depending on pay status and duration.
  • Financial: If paid, may entail cost considerations for states/localities; if unpaid or banked within existing leave, impacts may be mitigated.

Next Steps for Interested Readers

  • Monitor committee activity in Governmental Employees for hearings, amendments, and votes.
  • Review the introduced bill text upon publication to understand specifics (eligibility, duration, pay, and protections).
  • Compare with related bills (A 8563, A 2308, A 7876, S 4523) to gauge alignment and potential compromise language.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary after parsing the full text of the bill or any committee amendments when those materials are available.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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