[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4855 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4855

   To establish the Work-Life Balance Award for employers that have 
         developed and implemented work-life balance policies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 16, 2010

     Ms. Woolsey (for herself and Mr. George Miller of California) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish the Work-Life Balance Award for employers that have 
         developed and implemented work-life balance policies.

    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 ``Work-Life Balance Award Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Employer.--The term ``employer''--
                    (A) means any person (as defined in section 3(a) of 
                the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 
                202(a))) engaged in commerce or in any industry or 
                activity affecting commerce; and
                    (B) includes any agency of a State, or political 
                subdivision thereof.
        The term does not include the Government of the United States 
        or any agency thereof.
            (2) Work-life balance policy.--The term ``work-life balance 
        policy'' means a workplace practice designed to enable 
        employees to achieve a satisfactory work-life balance.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Labor.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF AWARD.

    (a) In General.--There is established in the Department of Labor an 
annual award to be known as the Work-Life Balance Award (hereinafter 
referred to as the ``Award'') for employers that have developed and 
implemented work-life balance policies.
    (b) Plaque.--The Award shall be evidenced by a plaque bearing the 
title ``Work-Life Balance Award''.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--An employer desiring consideration for an 
        Award shall submit an application to the Work-Life Balance 
        Advisory Board established under section 4, at such time, in 
        such manner, and containing such information as such Board may 
        require.
            (2) Reapplication.--An employer may reapply for an Award, 
        regardless of whether the employer has been a previous 
        recipient of such Award.
    (d) Display on Web Site.--The Secretary shall make publically 
available on its Web site the names of each recipient of the Award.
    (e) Presentation of Award.--After receiving recommendations from 
the Board established under section 4, the Secretary (or the 
Secretary's designee) shall present annually the Award to employers 
that meet the criteria developed under section 4(b)(1).

SEC. 4. WORK-LIFE BALANCE ADVISORY BOARD.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established within the Department of 
Labor a Work-Life Balance Advisory Board (hereinafter referred to as 
the ``Board'').
    (b) Duties.--The Board shall--
            (1) subject to the approval by the Secretary, not later 
        than 180 days after the initial meeting described under 
        subsection (f)(1)(B), develop criteria to determine recipients 
        of the Award. In developing such criteria, such Board shall--
                    (A) identify those work-life balance policies, 
                which if properly implemented, will permit employees to 
                achieve a work-life balance;
                    (B) take into consideration an employer's record of 
                compliance, or noncompliance, with Federal and State 
                labor laws; and
                    (C) seek input from all interested parties to 
                assist in making a determination of the recipients of 
                the Award, including input from stakeholders;
            (2) develop a process for receiving and processing 
        applications;
            (3) recommend recipients of the Award from among those 
        applications submitted to the Board in accordance with section 
        3(c);
            (4) present to the Secretary the names of the employers 
        that the Board recommends as recipients of the Award in 
        accordance with the criteria developed under paragraph (1); and
            (5) set an annual timetable for fulfilling the duties 
        described under this subsection.
    (c) Revisions.--The Board, subject to the approval of the 
Secretary, may make revisions, as appropriate, to the criteria 
developed under subsection (b)(1) from time to time.
    (d) Membership.--
            (1) Numbers and appointment.--Subject to paragraphs (2) 
        through (5), the Board shall be composed of 9 members appointed 
        by the Secretary as follows:
                    (A) 1 member, who shall serve as chairperson of the 
                Board, representing the public.
                    (B) 1 member representing a State or local 
                government.
                    (C) 1 member representing a nonprofit employer.
                    (D) 2 members representing private industry or 
                industry organizations.
                    (E) 2 members representing labor organizations.
                    (F) 2 members representing families and children.
            (2) Recommendations.--In appointing any member of the Board 
        under paragraph (1) who is not the chairperson of such Board, 
        the Speaker and the minority leader of the House of 
        Representatives, and the majority and minority leader of the 
        Senate, each shall submit to the Secretary recommendations with 
        the names of proposed members of the Board, and from such 
        submissions the Secretary shall appoint the members of the 
        Board in accordance with such paragraph.
            (3) Limitation.--The Secretary may not appoint any Member 
        of Congress to the Board.
            (4) Political affiliation.--Not more than 4 members of the 
        Board appointed under paragraph (1) may be of the same 
        political party.
            (5) Qualifications.--Members of the Board shall be 
        individuals with knowledge of and experience with work-life 
        balance policies.
    (e) Terms.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided under paragraphs (2) 
        and (3), each member of the Board shall be appointed for 2 
        years and may be reappointed.
            (2) Terms of initial appointees.--As designated by the 
        Secretary at the time of appointment, of the members of the 
        Board first appointed, 4 shall each be appointed for a 2-year 
        term and the remainder shall each be appointed for a 3-year 
        term.
            (3) Vacancies.--Any member of the Board appointed to fill a 
        vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which 
        the member's predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only 
        for the remainder of that term. A member may serve after the 
        expiration of that member's term until a successor has taken 
        office.
    (f) Operations.--
            (1) Meetings.--
                    (A) In general.--Except for the initial meeting of 
                the Board under subparagraph (B), the Board shall meet 
                at the call of the Chairperson or a majority of its 
                members.
                    (B) Initial meeting.--The Board shall conduct its 
                first meeting not later than 90 days after the 
                appointment of all of its members.
            (2) Voting and rules.--A majority of members of the Board 
        shall constitute a quorum to conduct business. The Board may 
        establish by majority vote any other rules for the conduct of 
        the business of the Board, if such rules are not inconsistent 
        with this section or other applicable law.

SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.

    The Secretary may prescribe regulations to carry out the purposes 
of this Act.
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