[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 956 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 956

To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to allow employees to 
take, as additional leave, parental involvement leave to participate in 
    or attend their children's and grandchildren's educational and 
 extracurricular activities and to clarify that leave may be taken for 
 routine medical needs and to assist elderly relatives, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 27, 2003

  Mrs. Maloney (for herself, Mr. Frost, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Serrano, Mr. 
   Nadler, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Norton, Ms. Millender-
 McDonald, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Owens, and Mr. Frank of 
Massachusetts) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the 
Committees on Government Reform and House Administration, for a period 
    to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to allow employees to 
take, as additional leave, parental involvement leave to participate in 
    or attend their children's and grandchildren's educational and 
 extracurricular activities and to clarify that leave may be taken for 
 routine medical needs and to assist elderly relatives, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Family and Medical Leave Enhancement 
Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE.

    Section 101(2)(B)(ii) of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 
(29 U.S.C. 2611(2)(B)(ii)) is amended by striking ``less than 50'' each 
place it occurs and inserting ``fewer than 25''.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL LEAVE FOR PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT.

    (a) Leave Requirement.--Section 102(a) of the Family and Medical 
Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2612(a)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
            ``(3) Entitlement to additional leave for parental 
        involvement.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to section 103(f), in 
                addition to leave available under paragraph (1), an 
                eligible employee shall be entitled to a total of 4 
                hours of leave during any 30-day period, and a total of 
                24 hours of leave during any 12-month period to 
                participate in or attend an activity that--
                            ``(i) is sponsored by a school or community 
                        organization; and
                            ``(ii) relates to a program of the school 
                        or organization that is attended by a son or 
                        daughter or a grandchild of the employee.
                    ``(B) Definitions.--As used in this paragraph:
                            ``(i) School.--The term `school' means an 
                        elementary school or secondary school (as such 
                        terms are defined in the Elementary and 
                        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 
                        et seq.)), a Head Start program assisted under 
                        the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), 
                        and a child care facility licensed under State 
                        law.
                            ``(ii) Community organization.--The term 
                        `community organization' means a private 
                        nonprofit organization that is representative 
                        of a community or a significant segment of a 
                        community and provides activities for 
                        individuals described in subparagraph (A) or 
                        (B) of section 101(12), such as a scouting or 
                        sports organization.''.
    (b) Schedule.--Section 102(b)(1) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2612(b)(1)) 
is amended by inserting after the second sentence the following: 
``Leave under subsection (a)(3)(A) may be taken intermittently or on a 
reduced leave schedule.''.
    (c) Substitution of Paid Leave.--Section 102(d)(2)(A) of such Act 
(29 U.S.C. 2612(d)(2)(A)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``under'' and inserting the following: 
        ``under--
                            ``(i)''; and
            (2) inserting before the period at the end the following: 
        ``; or
                            ``(ii) subsection (a)(3)(A) for any part of 
                        the 24-hour period of such leave under such 
                        subsection''.
    (d) Notice.--Section 102(e)(1) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2612(e)(1)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: ``In any case in which 
an employee requests leave under subsection (a)(3)(A), the employee 
shall provide the employer with not less than 7 days' notice, before 
the date the leave is to begin, of the employee's intention to take 
leave under such subsection.''.
    (e) Certification.--Section 103 of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2613) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Certification for Parental Involvement Leave.--An employer 
may require that a request for leave under section 102(a)(3)(A) be 
supported by a certification issued at such time and in such manner as 
the Secretary may by regulation prescribe.''.

SEC. 4. PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT LEAVE FOR CIVIL SERVANTS.

    (a) Leave Requirement.--Section 6382(a) of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(3)(A) Subject to section 6383(f), in addition to leave available 
under paragraph (1), an employee shall be entitled to a total of 4 
hours of leave during any 30-day period, and a total of 24 hours of 
leave during any 12-month period to participate in or attend an 
activity that--
            ``(i) is sponsored by a school or community organization; 
        and
            ``(ii) relates to a program of the school or organization 
        that is attended by a son or daughter or a grandchild of the 
        employee.
    ``(B) For the purpose of this paragraph:
            ``(i) The term `school' means an elementary school or 
        secondary school (as such terms are defined in the Elementary 
        and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.)), 
        a Head Start program assisted under the Head Start Act (42 
        U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), and a child care facility licensed under 
        State law.
            ``(ii) The term `community organization' means a private 
        nonprofit organization that is representative of a community or 
        a significant segment of a community and provides activities 
        for individuals described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of section 
        6381(6), such as a scouting or sports organization.''.
    (b) Schedule.--Section 6382(b)(1) of such title is amended by 
inserting after the second sentence the following: ``Leave under 
subsection (a)(3)(A) may be taken intermittently or on a reduced leave 
schedule.''.
    (c) Substitution of Paid Leave.--Section 6382(d) of such title is 
amended by inserting before 
``, except'' the following: ``, or for leave provided under subsection 
(a)(3)(A) any of the employee's accrued or accumulated annual leave 
under subchapter I for any part of the 24-hour period of such leave 
under such subsection''.
    (d) Notice.--Section 6382(e)(1) of such title is amended by adding 
at the end the following: ``In any case in which an employee requests 
leave under subsection (a)(3)(A), the employee shall provide the 
employing agency with not less than 7 days' notice, before the date the 
leave is to begin, of the employee's intention to take leave under such 
subsection.''.
    (e) Certification.--Section 6383 of such title is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(f) An employing agency may require that a request for leave 
under section 6382(a)(3)(A) be supported by a certification issued at 
such time and in such manner as the Office of Personnel Management may 
by regulation prescribe.''.

SEC. 5. CLARIFICATION OF LEAVE ENTITLEMENT.

    Section 102(a)(1) of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 
U.S.C. 2612(a)(1)) and section 6382(a)(1) of title 5, United States 
Code, are each amended by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) In order to meet routine family medical 
                needs, including transportation of a son or daughter or 
                a grandchild for medical and dental appointments for 
                annual checkups and vaccinations.
                    ``(F) In order to meet the routine medical care 
                needs of elderly individuals who are related to the 
                eligible employee, including visits to nursing homes 
                and group homes.''.

SEC. 6. DEFINITION OF GRANDCHILD.

    (a) Non-Civil-Service Employees.--Section 101 of the Family and 
Medical Leave Act (29 U.S.C. 2611) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph:
            ``(14) Grandchild.--The term `grandchild' means a son or 
        daughter of an employee's child.''.
    (b) Civil Service Employees.--Section 6381 of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (5)(B), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (6)(B), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(7) the term `grandchild' means a son or daughter of an 
        employee's child.''.
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