FMA proudly helped lead the charge to bring paid parental leave to the federal workforce, which provides 12 weeks of paid leave to feds covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Lawmakers in both the House and the Senate have renewed the push to build on that success and provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for feds.

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced the Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act (H.R. 856 / S. 274) on February 7. The House bill has eight bipartisan cosponsors, while the Senate bill has ten.

The 12 weeks of paid leave would replace the current 12 weeks of unpaid leave guaranteed by FMLA, and is separate from sick leave and annual leave. Employees would be required to have worked a minimum of one year at a federal agency to enjoy the benefit the bill would provide.

“Right now, our laws are still forcing federal workers to make the impossible choice between caring for their families and keeping their jobs,” said Senator Schatz in a press release. “Our bill will provide federal workers with 12 weeks of paid leave, giving them the time they need to take care of their own health and their loved ones.”

“As the representative of the district with the largest number of federal employees in the country, I am conscious of the tremendous amount of good it would do for our region to provide comprehensive paid family and medical leave to the federal workforce. But every district has federal workers, and the benefits of this legislation would be felt across the country,” said Congressman Beyer. “We were able to achieve a major expansion of paid parental leave for federal workers, but we still have more to do. This basic benefit for workers is even more crucial in the age of Covid, but the United States still lags the rest of the world in securing guaranteed paid leave for its full workforce. As we advance this bill, which I am very proud to note is bipartisan, I will continue to work with members of both parties in pursuit of guaranteed paid leave for all American workers.”

Similar legislation was introduced in the 117th Congress but it did not advance.

To follow the progress of H.R. 856, click here. For S. 274, click here.