Labor & Employment (Paid Leave)

in committee · United States · Senate Oct 1, 2025

S 2963: Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act of 2025

This bill requires federal agencies to adjust contract prices for contractors affected by government funding lapses (like shutdowns), ensuring contractors can cover costs for employees who were furloughed, laid off, or had reduced hours. It mandates that contractors receive reimbursement for paying employees at their standard rate during the lapse or restoring paid leave used instead of work. The reimbursement is capped at $1,442 per week (pro-rated for part-time workers), and contractors must provide proof of costs to the agency. Agencies must report to Congress within a year on how many contractor employees were impacted and how compensation was handled.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates reimbursement to contractors for maintaining employee pay during funding lapses, directly protecting workers' income continuity during government shutdowns.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Paid Leave

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in committee · United States · House Mar 4, 2025

HR 1827: Child Care Availability and Affordability Act

HR 1827, the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act, increases tax benefits for families with child care needs and employers providing child care. It raises the employer child care credit from 25% to 50% of expenses with a maximum credit of $500,000 (up from $150,000), and creates a new household and dependent care credit allowing families to claim up to 50% of eligible child care expenses, with the credit amount reduced as income increases, up to $8,000 for multiple children. The bill directly affects working parents with children under 13 or dependents needing care, as well as employers offering child care benefits. Key provisions include expanded credit amounts, new definitions for qualifying care, and special rules for small businesses.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands tax credits for families (50% of childcare costs) and employers (50% credit up to $500k), providing direct tax relief for childcare expenses.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases childcare tax credits for families and employers, reducing a major barrier to workforce participation and supporting employment stability.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Child Labor Paid Leave

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in committee · United States · Senate Sep 9, 2025

S 2738: ESP, Paraprofessional, and Education Support Staff Family Leave Act

This bill expands eligibility for family and medical leave under the FMLA for paraprofessionals and education support staff (ESP) in schools. It lowers the required work hours for eligibility from 1,250 hours per year to 60% of the expected monthly hours for their specific role (based on the previous school year’s schedule). Employers must document each employee’s expected monthly hours in a file for the Secretary’s review. The law specifically covers school staff providing services like clerical work, food services, custodial duties, or student health support, aligning with existing definitions from education law.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands family leave eligibility for school support staff, strengthening educator benefits and retention in K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands FMLA eligibility for school staff by lowering hour requirements, advancing worker benefits and access to family leave.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Special Education Student Health Labor Standards Paid Leave

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in committee · United States · House Feb 5, 2025

HR 1035: Job Protection Act

This bill expands access to family and medical leave under the FMLA by reducing the required employment period from 12 months to 90 days for most workers. It also lowers the employer size threshold from "50 or more employees" to "1 or more employees," requiring nearly all employers to provide this leave. The changes specifically apply to private-sector workers, federal employees (covered under Title 5), and congressional staff, removing previous eligibility barriers. Key provisions include updating definitions in the FMLA and modifying federal employee leave rules to align with the 90-day requirement. This directly affects millions of workers who previously had to wait a full year for leave eligibility.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands FMLA eligibility by lowering employment duration and employer size thresholds, directly strengthening worker leave benefits and removing barriers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave

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in committee · United States · Senate Apr 8, 2025

S 1348: Fairness for Stay-at-Home Parents Act

This bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to explicitly include the birth of a child as a qualifying reason for leave, directly affecting employees taking leave for childbirth. It adds "the birth of a son or daughter" to the list of covered events under FMLA and requires employers to notify eligible employees that they cannot recover health insurance premiums paid during leave if the employee does not return after childbirth leave. The key change prevents employers from charging employees for health coverage costs if they choose not to return to work following a birth-related leave. This update clarifies existing FMLA protections without altering leave duration or pay.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcarePrevents employers from recovering health insurance premiums during childbirth leave, protecting continuous coverage access during critical health period95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAmends FMLA to include childbirth as qualifying leave, prevents employers from charging health insurance premiums during leave, protecting workers' rights and benefits.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Labor Standards Paid Leave

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in committee · United States · House Apr 8, 2025

HR 2732: Fairness for Stay-at-Home Parents Act

This bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to explicitly include "the birth of a son or daughter" as a qualifying reason for leave. It directly affects employees taking leave for childbirth, ensuring they cannot be penalized for not returning to work after such leave. The key provision requires employers to notify eligible employees that they cannot recover health insurance premiums paid during the leave if the employee does not return due to the birth. This change clarifies protections for parents using FMLA for childbirth-related leave.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill prevents employers from recovering health insurance premiums during childbirth leave, protecting coverage continuity and aligning with healthcare access protections.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAmends FMLA to protect parents from penalties for childbirth leave and ensure health insurance coverage, strengthening worker protections under employment standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Women's Health Employment Discrimination Labor Standards Paid Leave

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in committee · United States · Senate Feb 12, 2026

S 3869: Healthy Families Act

The Healthy Families Act would require most private employers and certain government entities to provide employees with earned paid sick time, allowing workers to take up to 56 hours per year for their own health needs, caring for family members, or addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Employees would earn 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, with the ability to use it for medical appointments, caring for family members with health needs, or seeking safety from violence. The bill prohibits employers from retaliating against workers who use this time and requires employers to post clear notices about the policy. It applies to most private employers, with specific provisions for government entities like the Library of Congress and Government Accountability Office.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates paid sick time for health needs and family care, directly improving healthcare access and supporting patient rights as defined in the topic.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates paid sick leave (56 hrs/yr), expanding worker benefits and protecting health-related needs per bill requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Paid Leave

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in committee · United States · Senate Dec 17, 2025

S 3547: Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act

The Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act would expand benefits for part-time workers by reducing the eligibility requirement for family and medical leave from 12 months of employment to just 90 days. It prohibits discrimination against part-time employees based on their work hours and requires employers to offer preferred work schedules to existing part-time employees before hiring new staff or using contractors. The bill mandates that employers compensate part-time workers for hours they could not schedule due to new hires, and establishes enforcement mechanisms through the Department of Labor. This legislation directly affects part-time workers and employers with more than 15 employees across various sectors, including government agencies.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands family medical leave eligibility, improving healthcare access for part-time workers through reduced employment requirements.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentReduces leave eligibility to 90 days, prohibits hour-based discrimination, mandates scheduling preferences for part-timers, and requires compensation - directly expands worker benefits and protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards Paid Leave

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in committee · United States · Senate Feb 4, 2025

S 400: Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act

S 400 enhances the tax credit for employers that provide paid family and medical leave to their workers. Employers can now choose to calculate the credit based on either wages paid to employees on leave or premiums paid for an insurance policy covering the leave. The bill clarifies that state or local government-paid leave counts toward the leave provided but does not count toward the credit amount, and extends the credit to cover up to six months of leave. Additionally, it requires the Small Business Administration and IRS to conduct outreach to help employers understand and use the credit.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEnhances tax credit for employers providing paid leave, increasing business tax relief and extending credit coverage.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill extends tax credits for employer-provided medical leave, improving access to healthcare by enabling workers to take time off for health needs without income loss.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEnhances tax credits for employers providing paid family/medical leave, expanding worker benefits and supporting employment standards through extended coverage and simplified credit calculation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Paid Leave

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in committee · United States · Senate Feb 12, 2026

S 3864: Federal Jobs Guarantee Development Act of 2026

The Federal Jobs Guarantee Development Act of 2026 establishes a 3-year pilot program providing competitive grants to up to 15 eligible entities (such as states, tribes, or rural areas with unemployment at least 150% of the national rate) to create job guarantee programs. These programs must offer jobs to all residents aged 18+ in the service area, with wages meeting or exceeding federal/state minimums, health coverage comparable to federal employee benefits, and mandated paid leave. The bill requires grantees to provide training support, report demographic data, and comply with specific job access standards for individuals with disabilities and criminal records. Funds are limited to new jobs not displacing existing workers, with annual audits to ensure proper use of resources.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates federal grants for job guarantee programs, increasing government spending on public employment initiatives under budget appropriations.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates health coverage comparable to federal employee benefits for all job guarantee participants, directly expanding healthcare access and benefits.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates job guarantee with wages ≥ min wage, health coverage, and paid leave, directly advancing worker benefits and employment standards.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Minimum Wage Paid Leave Unemployment

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