Vermont’s House of Representatives has approved legislation that would create statewide paid medical and family leave.

The legislation advanced Thursday would impose a new payroll tax on virtually all workers in Vermont to fund the nearly $80 million needed annually to fund the paid leave benefit. Vermont Public Radio reports the bill allows workers to take up to 12 weeks to care for a newborn child or eight weeks to deal with a personal or family medical issue.

The bill would use a 0.55% payroll tax to fund the insurance pool from which benefits would be paid out, which Republican Gov. Phil Scott has said he cannot support.

A similar bill passed both chambers of the Legislature last year, but Scott vetoed the proposal.