summary
Introduced
03/20/2013
03/20/2013
In Committee
04/23/2013
04/23/2013
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/03/2015
01/03/2015
Introduced Session
113th Congress
Bill Summary
Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to permit each employee to earn at least 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Declares that an employer shall not be required to permit an employee to earn more than 56 hours of paid sick time in a calendar year, unless the employer chooses to set a higher limit. Allows employees to use such time to: (1) meet their own medical needs; (2) care for the medical needs of certain family members (including a domestic partner or the domestic partner's parent or child); or (3) seek medical attention, assist a related person, take legal action, or engage in other specified activities relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Prohibits an employer from interfering with an employee's exercise of such rights. Directs the Secretary of Labor to exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority for employees covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. Grants the same authority, for employees under their jurisdiction, to the Librarian of Congress, the Comptroller General (GAO), the Board of Directors of the congressional Office of Compliance, and the Merit Systems Protection Board. Authorizes civil actions by employees, individuals, or their representatives for damages or equitable relief against employers who violate this Act. Waives a state's sovereign immunity with respect to a suit brought by an employee of a federally-assisted state program or activity for relief authorized under this Act. Requires the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to annually compile information on paid sick time and the Comptroller General to study related matters. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to discourage employers from adopting or retaining more generous leave policies.
AI Summary
This bill, the Healthy Families Act, mandates that employers with 15 or more employees working for 20 or more weeks annually must allow employees to earn at least one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, with a yearly cap of 56 hours unless the employer offers more. This paid sick time can be used for an employee's own medical needs, to care for family members (including domestic partners and their relatives), or for issues related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, such as seeking medical attention, legal action, or relocating. The bill also prohibits employers from hindering employees' use of these rights and designates various government bodies, including the Secretary of Labor, the Librarian of Congress, and the Comptroller General, to investigate and enforce these provisions. Employees or their representatives can file civil lawsuits for damages or other relief if an employer violates the act, and states' sovereign immunity is waived for suits concerning federally-assisted state programs. Finally, the Commissioner of Labor Statistics will annually collect data on paid sick time usage, and the Comptroller General will study related matters, with the bill explicitly stating it does not prevent employers from offering more generous leave policies.
Committee Categories
Education, Health and Social Services
Sponsors (135)
Rosa DeLauro (D)*,
Robert Andrews (D),
Karen Bass (D),
Ami Bera (D),
Timothy Bishop (D),
Earl Blumenauer (D),
Suzanne Bonamici (D),
Robert Brady (D),
Corrine Brown (D),
Julia Brownley (D),
Cheri Bustos (D),
Lois Capps (D),
Michael Capuano (D),
Tony Cárdenas (D),
André Carson (D),
Matt Cartwright (D),
Kathy Castor (D),
Donna Christensen (D),
Judy Chu (D),
Katherine Clark (D),
Yvette Clarke (D),
Lacy Clay (D),
Emanuel Cleaver (D),
Jim Clyburn (D),
Steve Cohen (D),
Gerry Connolly (D),
John Conyers (D),
Joe Courtney (D),
Joseph Crowley (WFP),
Danny Davis (D),
Susan Davis (D),
John Delaney (D),
Suzan DelBene (D),
Theodore Deutch (D),
Michael Doyle (D),
Donna Edwards (D),
Keith Ellison (D),
William Enyart (D),
Anna Eshoo (D),
Elizabeth Esty (D),
Marcia Fudge (D),
Tulsi Gabbard (D),
John Garamendi (D),
Alan Grayson (D),
Al Green (D),
Gene Green (D),
Raúl Grijalva (D),
Luis Gutiérrez (D),
Janice Hahn (D),
Alcee Hastings (D),
Denny Heck (D),
Brian Higgins (D),
Jim Himes (D),
Rush Holt (D),
Michael Honda (D),
Steven Horsford (D),
Jared Huffman (D),
Steve Israel (D),
Hakeem Jeffries (D),
Eddie Johnson (D),
Hank Johnson (D),
Marcy Kaptur (D),
Bill Keating (D),
Dan Kildee (D),
Derek Kilmer (D),
Ann Kirkpatrick (D),
Ann Kuster (D),
James Langevin (D),
Rick Larsen (D),
John Larson (D),
Barbara Lee (D),
Sander Levin (D),
John Lewis (D),
Zoe Lofgren (D),
Nita Lowey (D),
Ben Ray Luján (D),
Michelle Lujan Grisham (D),
Stephen Lynch (D),
Daniel Maffei (D),
Carolyn Maloney (D),
Ed Markey (D),
Doris Matsui (D),
Carolyn McCarthy (D),
Betty McCollum (D),
Jim McDermott (D),
Jim McGovern (D),
Grace Meng (D),
Michael Michaud (D),
George Miller (D),
Gwen Moore (D),
James Moran (D),
Jerry Nadler (D),
Grace Napolitano (D),
Gloria Negrete McLeod (D),
Richard Nolan (D),
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D),
Frank Pallone (D),
Bill Pascrell (D),
Donald Payne (D),
Nancy Pelosi (D),
Ed Perlmutter (D),
Gary Peters (D),
Chellie Pingree (D),
Mark Pocan (D),
Jared Polis (D),
David Price (D),
Charles Rangel (D),
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D),
Bobby Rush (D),
Tim Ryan (D),
Linda Sánchez (D),
John Sarbanes (D),
Jan Schakowsky (D),
Adam Schiff (D),
Allyson Schwartz (D),
Bobby Scott (D),
José Serrano (D),
Carol Shea-Porter (D),
Brad Sherman (D),
Louise Slaughter (D),
Jackie Speier (D),
Eric Swalwell (D),
Mark Takano (D),
John Tierney (D),
Dina Titus (D),
Paul Tonko (D),
Niki Tsongas (D),
Chris Van Hollen (D),
Marc Veasey (D),
Nydia Velázquez (D),
Timothy Walz (D),
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D),
Henry Waxman (D),
Frederica Wilson (D),
John Yarmuth (D),
Last Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. (on 04/23/2013)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location | Created |
|---|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/1286/all-info | 04/25/2013 |
| BillText | http://gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113hr1286ih/pdf/BILLS-113hr1286ih.pdf | 05/05/2013 |
| Bill | http://gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113hr1286ih/pdf/BILLS-113hr1286ih.pdf.pdf | 03/29/2013 |
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