Bill may get parents paid time off for kids' school activities

LOS ANGELES -- A new bill aimed at giving parents paid time off for their kids' school-related activities is bringing hope for many, but others say the bill may not be easy to pass.

For many working parents, it's tough to find the time to go on a school field trip with the kids. The new bill is designed to help with that, giving parents three paid days off a year for school-related events.

Businesses with 25 employees or less would be exempt.

State assemblyman Mike Gatto introduced the legislation, saying it would positively impact a child's life in the long run.

"Studies show that this greatly improves your child's educational chances in life. And it's really critical that we give parents this opportunity to do it without forcing them to make the tough decision between paying the bills and being involved," he said.

Parents in Los Angeles said they would love to spend more time with their kids at school, but because of their work situation, they couldn't afford to miss a day.

"You know, it was always family first, religion but now because of the hard time of the economy, we got to focus more on work and paying the bills," said Darryl Morgan, a father.

The bill was introduced this week and still has to go through the committee process before the state senate has a chance to review it and vote on it.

Gatto is expecting opposition mostly from businesses that say they can't afford to give their employees those three days off.