[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 824 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 824

 To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and title 5, United 
States Code, 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 family medical needs and to 
           assist elderly relatives, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 3, 2009

     Mrs. Maloney (for herself, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. George Miller of 
California, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Ellison, Mr. 
  Filner, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, and Ms. Norton) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
 Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and 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 and title 5, United 
States Code, 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 family 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 2009''.

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 appears and inserting ``fewer than 25''.

SEC. 3. ENTITLEMENT TO ADDITIONAL LEAVE UNDER THE FMLA FOR PARENTAL 
              INVOLVEMENT AND FAMILY WELLNESS.

    (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 new paragraph:
            ``(5) Entitlement to additional leave for parental 
        involvement and family wellness.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B) and 
                section 103(g), an eligible employee shall be entitled 
                to leave under this paragraph to--
                            ``(i) participate in or attend an activity 
                        that is sponsored by a school or community 
                        organization and relates to a program of the 
                        school or organization that is attended by a 
                        son or daughter or a grandchild of the 
                        employee; or
                            ``(ii) meet routine family medical care 
                        needs, including for medical and dental 
                        appointments of the employee or a son, 
                        daughter, spouse, or grandchild of the 
                        employee, or to attend to the care needs of 
                        elderly individuals who are related to the 
                        eligible employee, including visits to nursing 
                        homes and group homes.
                    ``(B) Limitations.--
                            ``(i) In general.--An eligible employee is 
                        entitled to--
                                    ``(I) not to exceed 4 hours of 
                                leave under this paragraph during any 
                                30-day period; and
                                    ``(II) not to exceed 24 hours of 
                                leave under this paragraph during any 
                                12-month period.
                            ``(ii) Coordination rule.--Leave under this 
                        paragraph shall be in addition to any leave 
                        provided under any other paragraph of this 
                        subsection.
                    ``(C) Definitions.--As used in this paragraph:
                            ``(i) School.--The term `school' means an 
                        elementary school or secondary school (as such 
                        terms are defined in section 9101 of the 
                        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
                        (20 U.S.C. 7801)), a Head Start program 
                        assisted under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 
                        9831 et seq.), or a child care facility.
                            ``(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 third sentence the following new 
sentence: ``Leave under subsection (a)(5) may be taken intermittently 
or on a reduced leave schedule.''.
    (c) Substitution of Paid Leave.--Section 102(d)(2) of such Act (29 
U.S.C. 2612(d)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph:
                    ``(C) Parental involvement leave and family 
                wellness leave.--An eligible employee may elect, or an 
                employer may require the employee, to substitute any of 
                the accrued paid vacation leave, personal leave, or 
                family leave of the employee for any leave under 
                subsection (a)(5). In addition, an eligible employee 
                may elect, or an employer may require the employee, to 
                substitute any of the accrued paid medical or sick 
                leave of the employee for leave provided under clause 
                (ii) of subsection (a)(5)(A) for any part of the leave 
                under such clause, except that nothing in this title 
                shall require an employer to provide paid sick leave or 
                paid medical leave in any situation in which such 
                employer would not normally provide any such paid 
                leave. If the employee elects or the employer requires 
                the substitution of accrued paid leave for leave 
                provided under subsection (a)(5)(A), the employer shall 
                not restrict or limit this substitution or impose any 
                additional terms and conditions on such leave that are 
                more stringent on the employee than the terms and 
                conditions set forth in this Act.''.
    (d) Notice.--Section 102(e) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2612(e)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(4) Notice relating to parental involvement and family 
        wellness leave.--In any case in which an employee requests 
        leave under paragraph (5) of subsection (a), the employee 
        shall--
                    ``(A) provide the employer with not less than 7 
                days' notice or as much notice as is practicable before 
                the date the leave is to be taken, of the employee's 
                intention to take leave under such paragraph; and
                    ``(B) in the case of leave to be taken under 
                subparagraph (A)(ii), make a reasonable effort to 
                schedule the leave so as not to disrupt unduly the 
                operations of the employer, subject to the approval of 
                the health care provider involved (if any).''.
    (f) Certification.--Section 103 of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2613) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(g) Certification Related to Parental Involvement and Family 
Wellness Leave.--An employer may require that a request for leave under 
section 102(a)(5) be supported by a certification issued at such time 
and in such manner as the Secretary may by regulation prescribe.''.
    (g) Definition of Grandchild.--Section 101 of the Family and 
Medical Leave Act of 1993 (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 son or daughter.''.

SEC. 4. ENTITLEMENT OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO LEAVE FOR PARENTAL 
              INVOLVEMENT AND FAMILY WELLNESS.

    (a) Leave Requirement.--Section 6382(a) of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(5)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B)(i) and section 6383(f), an 
employee shall be entitled to leave under this paragraph to--
            ``(i) participate in or attend an activity that is 
        sponsored by a school or community organization and relates to 
        a program of the school or organization that is attended by a 
        son or daughter or a grandchild of the employee; or
            ``(ii) meet routine family medical care needs, including 
        for medical and dental appointments of a son, daughter, spouse, 
        or grandchild of the employee, or to attend to the care needs 
        of elderly individuals who are related to the eligible 
        employee, including visits to nursing homes and group homes.
    ``(B)(i) An employee is entitled to--
            ``(I) not to exceed 4 hours of leave under this paragraph 
        during any 30-day period; and
            ``(II) not to exceed 24 hours of leave under this paragraph 
        during any 12-month period.
    ``(ii) Leave under this paragraph shall be in addition to any leave 
provided under any other paragraph of this subsection.
    ``(C) For the purpose of this paragraph--
            ``(i) the term `school' means an elementary school or 
        secondary school (as such terms are defined in section 9101 of 
        the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965), a Head 
        Start program assisted under the Head Start Act, and a child 
        care facility licensed under State law; and
            ``(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--
            (1) by inserting after the second sentence the following 
        new sentence: ``Leave under subsection (a)(5) may be taken 
        intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule.''; and
            (2) in the last sentence, by striking ``involved,'' and 
        inserting ``involved (or, in the case of leave under subsection 
        (a)(5), for purposes of any 30-day or 12-month period),''.
    (c) Substitution of Paid Leave.--Section 6382(d) of such title is 
amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' after the subsection designation; 
        and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(2) An employee may elect to substitute for leave under 
subsection (a)(5), any of the employee's accrued or accumulated annual 
or sick leave under subchapter I. If the employee elects to substitute 
accumulated annual or sick leave for leave provided under subsection 
(a)(5), the employing agency shall not restrict or limit this 
substitution or impose any additional terms and conditions on such 
leave that are more stringent on the employee than the terms and 
conditions set forth in this subchapter.''.
    (d) Notice.--Section 6382(e) of such title is amended by adding at 
the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(3) In any case in which an employee requests leave under 
paragraph (5) of subsection (a), the employee shall--
            ``(A) provide the employing agency with not less than 7 
        days' notice, before the date the leave is to be taken, of the 
        employee's intention to take leave under such paragraph; and
            ``(B) in the case of leave to be taken under subparagraph 
        (A)(ii), make a reasonable effort to schedule the leave so as 
        not to disrupt unduly the operations of the employer, subject 
        to the approval of the health care provider involved (if 
        any).''.
    (e) Certification.--Section 6383(f) of such title is amended by 
striking ``6382(a)(3)'' and inserting ``paragraph (3) or (5) of section 
6382(a)''.
    (f) Definition of Grandchild.--Section 6381 of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (10), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (11), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(12) the term `grandchild' means a son or daughter of an 
        employee's son or daughter.''.
                                 <all>