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SALT LAKE CITY — Imagine getting time off of work — with pay — to attend your children's school activities. It may become law in California under a bill proposed at the state legislature last week.
Assembly Bill 2405 would require businesses to give employees three days, or 24 hours, each year of paid time off to participate in school activities.
"AB 2405 will allow parents to play an active role in their children's success, without worrying about putting food on the table," said Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Los Angeles, the bill's sponsor.
"Being involved in your child's education shouldn't be limited by your family's income, and it shouldn't come down to a choice between meeting with a teacher or volunteering in the classroom, versus paying the bills," he added.
Parents, grandparents and guardians in California already can take up to five days of "school activities leave" each year under the Family-School and Partnership Act, which became law in California in 1995. AB 2405 would require that three of those days be paid.
Studies show children with involved parents perform better in school and face fewer disciplinary problems, according to a news release from Gatto's office.
The proposed law would apply only to businesses with more than 25 employees.
Gatto thinks his bill has a good chance of passing, but opposition is expected from businesses that believe they cannot afford it.
