[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1402 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1402

    To direct the Secretary of Labor to recognize employers with a 
commitment to helping employees balance workplace responsibilities and 
                          family obligations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 9, 2019

    Ms. Duckworth (for herself and Mrs. Gillibrand) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To direct the Secretary of Labor to recognize employers with a 
commitment to helping employees balance workplace responsibilities and 
                          family obligations.

    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 ``Honoring Family-Friendly Workplaces 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Employee; employer.--The terms ``employee'' and 
        ``employer'' have the meanings given such terms in section 3 of 
        the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 203).
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Labor.

SEC. 3. CERTIFICATION PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a national 
certification program to award certifications to recognize employers 
that have a commitment to helping employees balance employment 
responsibilities and family obligations (referred to in this section as 
``family-friendly certifications'').
    (b) Criteria for Certification.--In order to be eligible to receive 
a family-friendly certification, an employer must carry out each of the 
following family-friendly employment policies and benefits:
            (1) Assistance paying for, or referring employees to, 
        fertility or adoption services.
            (2) Paid family leave of not less than 12 weeks per year, 
        including the option to use leave for any of the following 
        reasons:
                    (A) The birth of a son or daughter of the employee 
                and in order to care for such son or daughter.
                    (B) The placement of a son or daughter with the 
                employee for adoption or foster care.
                    (C) To address the employee's own serious health 
                condition, including pregnancy or childbirth.
                    (D) To address the serious health condition (as 
                defined in section 101 of the Family and Medical Leave 
                Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2611)) of a family member.
                    (E) For specific military caregiving and leave.
            (3) Paid sick days for employees that are separate from 
        time accrued as part of a paid time off policy.
            (4) A subsidy for child care or policies that allow parents 
        to work alongside their infants in safe settings.
            (5) Policies that allow for flexible hours once a parent 
        returns to work after a birth, adoption, or foster care 
        placement.
            (6) If feasible, policies that allow employees to work 
        remotely as needed for reasons related to the care of a child.
            (7) Lactation support, such as reimbursement of expressed 
        breastmilk delivery while on travel, access to pumps, kits, and 
        other lactation supplies and amenities, and access to lactation 
        consultants and support.
    (c) Application.--An employer who desires to receive a family-
friendly certification from the Secretary under this section shall 
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, containing such 
information, and in such manner as the Secretary may require.
    (d) Award of Certification.--The Secretary shall review 
applications submitted under subparagraph (c) and award a family-
friendly certification to an employer whose application demonstrates 
that the employer has met the requirements established under subsection 
(b) regarding family-friendly policies and benefits.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act such sums as may be necessary.
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