What This Bill Does
This bill provides paid family and medical leave to federal employees. The bill changes existing leave laws to give federal workers more paid time off for specific family and medical reasons. It applies these rules across multiple types of federal workers and agencies.
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Who It Affects
- Federal employees covered by Title 5 (the main federal employee law)
- Congressional employees covered by the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995
- Employees of the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
- Library of Congress employees
- United States Postal Service employees
- Postal Regulatory Commission employees
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees
- Department of Veterans Affairs employees
- Nonjudicial employees of District of Columbia courts
- District of Columbia Public Defender Service employees
- Employees of the Executive Office of the President
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Key Provisions
- Federal employees covered by Title 5 receive 12 administrative workweeks of paid leave plus any additional leave under specific circumstances for qualifying family and medical events (Sec. 2)
- The leave entitlement begins at the time of birth or placement of a child and expires 12 months after that date, though adoption-related leave can begin before placement (Sec. 2)
- Employees receive a combined total of 26 administrative workweeks of leave for family and medical events under certain conditions (Sec. 2)
- Employees who received paid leave for the same event under another law have their leave under this bill reduced by the days already taken (Sec. 2)
- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must modify the family and medical leave program for Department of Veterans Affairs employees within 30 days after this law takes effect (Sec. 7)
- District of Columbia courts and the Public Defender Service must establish paid family and medical leave programs (Sec. 8)
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What Changes
If this becomes law, federal employees will receive more paid leave for family and medical reasons than current law allows. The bill expands what types of events qualify for paid leave and increases the amount of time employees can take. Congressional employees, postal workers, GAO employees, Library of Congress workers, FAA and TSA employees, and DC court workers will all gain access to paid family and medical leave where they may not have had it before. Employees who already took paid leave for the same event under another federal law will not receive double payment.
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Important Definitions
The bill does not explicitly define "administrative workweeks," "family and medical leave," or "qualifying events" in its text. It references existing definitions in other federal laws but does not state new definitions for these terms.
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 856
To provide paid family and medical leave to Federal employees, and for
other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 7, 2023
Mr. BEYER (for himself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, and Ms. HOULAHAN) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and
Accountability, and in addition to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs,
and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To provide paid family and medical leave to Federal
employees, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Comprehensive Paid
4
Leave for Federal Employees Act’’.
5
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•HR 856 IH
SEC. 2. PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE FOR FEDERAL
1
EMPLOYEES COVERED BY TITLE 5.
2
Chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, is amend-
3
ed—
4
(1) in section 6381, by amending paragraph
5
(1)(B) to read as follows:
6
‘‘(B) has completed at least 12 months of
7
service—
8
‘‘(i) as an employee (as defined in sec-
9
tion 2105) of the Government of the
10
United States, including service with the
11
United States Postal Service, the Postal
12
Regulatory
Commission,
and
a
non-
13
appropriated fund instrumentality as de-
14
scribed in section 2105(c); or
15
‘‘(ii) on covered active duty as a mem-
16
ber of the National Guard or Reserves that
17
interrupts service described in clause (i);’’;
18
and
19
(2) in section 6382—
20
(A) in subsection (a)—
21
(i) in paragraph (1)—
22
(I) in the matter preceding sub-
23
paragraph (A), by striking ‘‘12 ad-
24
ministrative workweeks of leave’’ and
25
inserting ‘‘12 administrative work
26
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•HR 856 IH
weeks of leave plus any additional pe-
1
riod of leave used under subsection
2
(d)(2)(B)(ii)’’; and
3
(II) in subparagraph (B), by in-
4
serting ‘‘and in order to care for such
5
son or daughter’’ before the period;
6
(ii) by amending paragraph (2) to
7
read as follows:
8
‘‘(2)(A) The entitlement to leave under sub-
9
paragraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) shall com-
10
mence at time of birth or placement of a son or
11
daughter and shall expire at the end of the 12-
12
month period beginning on the date of such birth or
13
placement.
14
‘‘(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the
15
entitlement to leave under subparagraph (B) in con-
16
nection with adoption may commence prior to the
17
placement of the son or daughter to be adopted for
18
activities necessary to allow the adoption to pro-
19
ceed.’’; and
20
(iii) in paragraph (4)—
21
(I) by striking ‘‘Subject to sub-
22
section (d)(2), during’’ and inserting
23
‘‘During’’; and
24
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•HR 856 IH
(II) by inserting ‘‘(or 26 adminis-
1
trative workweeks of leave plus any
2
additional period of leave used under
3
subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii))’’ after ‘‘26
4
administrative workweeks of leave’’;
5
and
6
(B) in subsection (d)—
7
(i) in paragraph (1)—
8
(I) by striking the first sentence;
9
and
10
(II) by striking ‘‘under sub-
11
chapter I’’; and
12
(ii) in paragraph (2)—
13
(I) in subparagraph (A), by strik-
14
ing ‘‘subparagraph (A) or (B)’’ and
15
inserting ‘‘subparagraph (A) through
16
(E)’’;
17
(II) by striking ‘‘parental’’ in
18
each instance;
19
(III) in subparagraph (B)(i), by
20
striking ‘‘birth or placement involved’’
21
and inserting ‘‘event giving rise to
22
such leave’’;
23
(IV) by amending subparagraph
24
(E) to read as follows:
25
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•HR 856 IH
‘‘(E) Nothing in this paragraph shall be
1
construed to modify the service requirement in
2
section 6381(1)(B).’’;
3
(V) in subparagraph (F)(i), by
4
striking ‘‘An employee’’ and inserting
5
‘‘With respect to leave described
6
under subparagraph (A) or (B) of
7
subsection (a)(1), an employee’’; and
8
(VI) by adding at the end the fol-
9
lowing:
10
‘‘(H) Notwithstanding paragraph (2)(B)(i),
11
with respect to any employee who received paid
12
leave for an event giving rise to such leave
13
under any other provision of law and who be-
14
comes subject to this section during the period
15
of eligibility for paid leave under this section
16
with respect to such event, any paid leave for
17
such event provided by this section shall be re-
18
duced by the total number of days of paid leave
19
taken by such employee under such other provi-
20
sion of law.’’.
21
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL EMPLOYEES UNDER THE CON-
22
GRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995.
23
Section 202 of the Congressional Accountability Act
24
of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1312), is amended—
25
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•HR 856 IH
(1) in subsection (a)—
1
(A) paragraph (1)—
2
(i) in the second sentence—
3
(I)
by
striking
‘‘subsection
4
(a)(1)(A)
or
(B)’’
and
inserting
5
‘‘under any of subsections (a)(1)(A)
6
through (E)’’; and
7
(II) by inserting ‘‘and in the case
8
of leave that includes leave for such
9
an event, the period of leave to which
10
a covered employee is entitled under
11
section 102(a)(1) of such Act shall be
12
12 administrative workweeks of leave
13
plus any additional period of leave
14
used under subsection (d)(2)(B) of
15
this section’’ before the period; and
16
(ii) by striking the third sentence and
17
inserting the following: ‘‘For purposes of
18
applying section 102(a)(4) of such Act, in
19
the case of leave that includes leave under
20
any of subparagraphs (A) through (E) of
21
section 102(a)(1) of such Act, a covered
22
employee is entitled, under paragraphs (1)
23
and (3) of section 102(a) of such Act, to
24
a combined total of 26 workweeks of leave
25
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•HR 856 IH
plus any additional period of leave used
1
under subsection (d)(2)(B) of this sec-
2
tion.’’; and
3
(B) in paragraph (2), by amending sub-
4
paragraph (B) to read as follows:
5
‘‘(B) except for leave described under sec-
6
tion 102(a)(3) of such Act, the term ‘eligible
7
employee’ as used in that Act means a covered
8
employee.’’; and
9
(2) in subsection (d)—
10
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking
11
‘‘PARENTAL LEAVE’’ and inserting ‘‘FAMILY
12
AND MEDICAL LEAVE’’;
13
(B) by striking ‘‘subparagraph (A) or (B)’’
14
and inserting ‘‘any of subparagraphs (A)
15
through (E)’’;
16
(C) by striking ‘‘parental’’ in each in-
17
stance; and
18
(D) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ‘‘birth
19
or placement involved’’ and inserting ‘‘event
20
giving rise to such leave’’.
21
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•HR 856 IH
SEC. 4. GAO, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, POSTAL SERVICE,
1
AND POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION EM-
2
PLOYEES.
3
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29
4
U.S.C. 2612), is amended—
5
(1) in section 101(2)(E)—
6
(A) in the subparagraph heading, by in-
7
serting ‘‘, USPS, AND
POSTAL
REGULATORY
8
COMMISSION’’ after ‘‘GAO’’;
9
(B) by inserting ‘‘, the United States Post-
10
al Service, or the Postal Regulatory Commis-
11
sion’’ after ‘‘Government Accountability Of-
12
fice’’; and
13
(C) by striking ‘‘section 102(a)(1)(A) or
14
(B)’’ and
inserting
‘‘section
102(a)(1)(A)
15
through (E)’’;
16
(2) in section 102(d)(3)—
17
(A) in the paragraph heading, by inserting
18
‘‘, USPS, AND
POSTAL
REGULATORY
COMMIS-
19
SION’’ after ‘‘GAO’’;
20
(B) by striking ‘‘the Government Account-
21
ability Office’’ in each instance and inserting
22
‘‘the Government Accountability Office, the
23
United States Postal Service, or the Postal
24
Regulatory Commission’’;
25
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•HR 856 IH
(C) by striking ‘‘parental’’ in each instance
1
and inserting ‘‘family and medical’’;
2
(D) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘sub-
3
paragraph (A) or (B)’’ and inserting ‘‘subpara-
4
graphs (A) through (E)’’; and
5
(E) in subparagraph (B)(i), by striking
6
‘‘birth or placement involved’’ and inserting
7
‘‘event giving rise to such leave’’; and
8
(3) by adding at the end of section 102(a) the
9
following:
10
‘‘(6) SPECIAL RULES ON PERIOD OF LEAVE.—
11
With respect to an employee of the Government Ac-
12
countability Office, the Library of Congress, the
13
United States Postal Service, or the Postal Regu-
14
latory Commission—
15
‘‘(A) in the case of leave that includes
16
leave under subparagraph (A) through (E) of
17
paragraph (1), the employee shall be entitled to
18
12 administrative workweeks of leave plus any
19
additional period of leave used under subsection
20
(d)(3)(B)(ii)
of
this
section
or
section
21
202(d)(2)(B) of the Congressional Account-
22
ability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1312(d)(2)(B)),
23
as the case may be;
24
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•HR 856 IH
‘‘(B) for the purposes of paragraph (4),
1
the employee is entitled, under paragraphs (1)
2
and (3), to a combined total of 26 workweeks
3
of leave plus, if applicable, any additional pe-
4
riod of leave used under subsection (d)(3)(B)(ii)
5
of this section or section 202(d)(2)(B) of the
6
Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2
7
U.S.C. 1312(d)(2)(B)), as the case may be; and
8
‘‘(C) the entitlement to leave under para-
9
graph (1)(B) in connection with adoption may
10
commence prior to the placement of the son or
11
daughter to be adopted for activities necessary
12
to allow the adoption to proceed.’’.
13
SEC. 5. EMPLOYEES OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE
14
PRESIDENT.
15
Section 412 of title 3, United States Code, is amend-
16
ed—
17
(1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ‘‘or (B)’’
18
and inserting ‘‘through (E)’’; and
19
(2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘or (B)’’ in
20
each instance and inserting ‘‘through (E)’’.
21
SEC. 6. FAA AND TSA EMPLOYEES.
22
Section 40122(g)(5) of title 49, United States Code,
23
is amended—
24
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•HR 856 IH
(1) in the paragraph heading, by striking ‘‘PA-
1
RENTAL’’; and
2
(2) by striking ‘‘parental’’ in each instance.
3
SEC. 7. TITLE 38 EMPLOYEES.
4
Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment
5
of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall modify
6
the family and medical leave program provided by oper-
7
ation of section 7425(c) of title 38, United States Code,
8
to conform with this Act and the amendments made by
9
this Act.
10
SEC. 8. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURTS AND DISTRICT OF
11
COLUMBIA PUBLIC DEFENDER SERVICE.
12
(a) DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURTS.—Subsection
13
(d) of section 11–1726, District of Columbia Official Code,
14
is amended to read as follows:
15
‘‘(d) In carrying out the family and medical leave act
16
of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.) with respect to non-judi-
17
cial employees of the District of Columbia courts, the
18
Joint Committee on Judicial Administration shall, not-
19
withstanding any provision of such Act, establish a paid
20
family and medical leave program for the leave described
21
in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of section 102(a)(1) of
22
such Act (29 U.S.C. 2612(a)(1)). In developing the terms
23
and conditions for this program, the Joint Committee may
24
be guided by the terms and conditions applicable to the
25
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•HR 856 IH
provision of paid family and medical leave for employees
1
of the Federal Government under chapter 63 of title 5,
2
United States Code, and any corresponding regulations.’’.
3
(b) DISTRICT
OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC DEFENDER
4
SERVICE.—Subsection (d) of section 305 of the District
5
of Columbia Court Reform and Criminal Procedure Act
6
of 1970 (sec. 21605, D.C. Official Code) is amended to
7
read as follows:
8
‘‘(d) In carrying out the Family and Medical Leave
9
Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.) with respect to em-
10
ployees of the Service, the Director shall, notwithstanding
11
any provision of such Act, establish a paid leave program
12
for the leave described in subparagraphs (A) through (E)
13
of section 102(a)(1) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2612(a)(1)).
14
In developing the terms and conditions for this program,
15
the Director may be guided by the terms and conditions
16
applicable to the provision of paid family and medical leave
17
for employees of the Federal Government under chapter
18
63 of title 5, United States Code, and any corresponding
19
regulations.’’.
20
Æ
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