UFCW Local 711’s legislative priority to cap Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) fees in Nevada was recently enacted into law. After supporting this legislation for several years on behalf of Nevada working families, AB 305 was signed into law by Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (R) on May 26. The bill, which is the first of its kind in the country, sets a cap of $30 on fees charged to workers by medical providers for FMLA forms.
The FMLA allows eligible workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to care for seriously ill family members or personal medical conditions. The FMLA certification fee is an administrative fee charged by doctors to fill out the FMLA forms and has been steadily rising in cost, in some cases exceeding $100 in Nevada. Working families will no longer be required to pay these exorbitant fees while dealing with the additional financial hardship of medical expenses.
Elaine Marzola, a union representative for UFCW Local 711, testified before the state legislature about the importance of lower FMLA fees for over 7,000 UFCW members and all workers in Nevada, including those in grocery stores, retail pharmacies and cannabis facilities. “Working families should not have to continue to cover this cost while taking unpaid time off for family or medical leave,” Marzola said, highlighting that many families are already stretched thin financially.
Support for AB 305 was echoed by various union leaders and community members, including Juanita Figueroa, a 20-year UFCW Local 711 member, who shared her personal experience with the financial strain of high certification fees during her battle with cancer. “I can’t imagine all of the other men and women in Nevada without insurance or a union that must pay these fees out of pocket just to keep their jobs,” Figueroa said.