Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), author of the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (FEPLA) which she reintroduced earlier this year, Tuesday introduced the bill as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The measure would provide 12 weeks of paid leave to federal employees to care for themselves and their families.
The amendment reflects language in Maloney’s HR 1534 and would institute the first federally funded paid family medical leave policy.
“No person should need to choose between taking care of a loved one or being able to put food on the table,” said Maloney. “Paid family leave is a benefit to the workforce, the government and the nation. The U.S. government should be a model employer, and this bill will help take a big step forward allowing employees to appropriately care for themselves or their families without worrying about job security.”
According to a statement on Maloney’s website, the amendment would guarantee 12 weeks of paid leave:
- Because of the birth of an employee’s child and in order to care for such child.
- Because of the placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care.
- In order to care for the spouse, child, or parent of the employee, if such spouse, child, or parent has a serious health condition.
- Because of a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of the employee’s position.
- Because of any qualifying urgent need arising from the fact that the employee’s spouse, child, or parent is on covered active duty (or has been notified of an impending call or order to covered active duty) in the Armed Forces.
Support from Federal Employee Groups
“This amendment would provide federal employees with 12 weeks of paid leave for the birth, adoption, or fostering of a new child; to care for seriously ill or injured family members; to tend to an employee’s own serious health condition; and to address the health, wellness, financial, and other issues that could arise when a loved one is serving overseas in the military or is a recently discharged veteran,” said AFGE President J. David Cox, Sr. “No federal employee should have to choose between caring for a loved one and receiving a paycheck.”
“This common-sense benefit is long overdue for the federal workforce. At no time should a federal employee be forced to choose between family and a paycheck and we urge adoption of the amendment and swift passage of this program in Congress,” said Tony Reardon, National President of the National Treasury Employees Union.
