[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 62 (Tuesday, May 13, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4396-S4397]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE FAMILY FRIENDLY WORKPLACE ACT OF 1997

                                 ______
                                 

                        MURRAY AMENDMENT NO. 244

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mrs. MURRAY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to 
the bill (S. 4) to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to 
provide to private sector employees the same opportunities for time-
and-a-half compensatory time off, biweekly work programs, and flexible 
credit hour programs as Federal employees currently enjoy to help 
balance the demands and needs of work and family, to clarify the 
provisions relating to exemptions of certain professionals from the 
minimum wage and overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act 
of 1938, and for other purposes; as follows:

       At the end, add the following:
                   TITLE II--SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT LEAVE

     SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.

       This title may be cited as the ``Time for Schools Act of 
     1997''.

     SEC. 202. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR LEAVE.

       (a) Entitlement to Leave.--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 school involvement leave.--
       ``(A) In general.--Subject to section 103(f), an eligible 
     employee shall be entitled to a total of 24 hours of leave 
     during any 12-month period to participate in an activity of a 
     school of a son or daughter of the employee, such as a 
     parent-teacher conference or an interview for a school, or to 
     participate in literacy training under a family literacy 
     program.
       ``(B) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
       ``(i) Family literacy program.--The term `family literacy 
     program' means a program of services that are of sufficient 
     intensity in terms of hours, and of sufficient duration, to 
     make sustainable changes in a family and that integrate all 
     of the following activities:

       ``(I) Interactive literacy activities between parents and 
     their sons and daughters.
       ``(II) Training for parents on how to be the primary 
     teacher for their sons and daughters and full partners in the 
     education of their sons and daughters.
       ``(III) Parent literacy training.
       ``(IV) An age-appropriate education program for sons and 
     daughters.

       ``(ii) Literacy.--The term `literacy', used with respect to 
     an individual, means the ability of the individual to speak, 
     read, and write English, and compute and solve problems, at 
     levels of proficiency necessary--

       ``(I) to function on the job, in the family of the 
     individual, and in society;
       ``(II) to achieve the goals of the individual; and
       ``(III) to develop the knowledge potential of the 
     individual.

       ``(iii) School.--The term `school' means an elementary 
     school or secondary school (as such terms are defined in 
     section 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
     of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801)), a Head Start program assisted 
     under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), and a 
     child care facility operated by a provider who meets the 
     applicable State or local government licensing, 
     certification, approval, or registration requirements, if 
     any.
       ``(4) Limitation.--No employee may take more than a total 
     of 12 workweeks of leave under paragraphs (1) and (3) during 
     any 12-month period.''.
       (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) 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 by inserting 
     before the period the following: ``, or for leave provided 
     under subsection (a)(3) for any part of the 24-hour period of 
     such leave under such subsection''.
       (d) Notice.--Section 102(e) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2612(e)) 
     is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) Notice for school involvement leave.--In any case in 
     which the necessity

[[Page S4397]]

     for leave under subsection (a)(3) is foreseeable, 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. If 
     the necessity for the leave is not foreseeable, the employee 
     shall provide such notice as is practicable.''.
       (e) Certification.--Section 103 of such Act (29 U.S.C. 
     2613) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(f) Certification for School Involvement Leave.--An 
     employer may require that a request for leave under section 
     102(a)(3) be supported by a certification issued at such time 
     and in such manner as the Secretary may by regulation 
     prescribe.''.

     SEC. 203. SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT LEAVE FOR CIVIL SERVICE 
                   EMPLOYEES.

       (a) Entitlement to Leave.--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), an employee shall be 
     entitled to a total of 24 hours of leave during any 12-month 
     period to participate in an activity of a school of a son or 
     daughter of the employee, such as a parent-teacher conference 
     or an interview for a school, or to participate in literacy 
     training under a family literacy program.
       ``(B) In this paragraph:
       ``(i) The term `family literacy program' means a program of 
     services that are of sufficient intensity in terms of hours, 
     and of sufficient duration, to make sustainable changes in a 
     family and that integrate all of the following activities:
       ``(I) Interactive literacy activities between parents and 
     their sons and daughters.
       ``(II) Training for parents on how to be the primary 
     teacher for their sons and daughters and full partners in the 
     education of their sons and daughters.
       ``(III) Parent literacy training.
       ``(IV) An age-appropriate education program for sons and 
     daughters.
       ``(ii) The term `literacy', used with respect to an 
     individual, means the ability of the individual to speak, 
     read, and write English, and compute and solve problems, at 
     levels of proficiency necessary--
       ``(I) to function on the job, in the family of the 
     individual, and in society;
       ``(II) to achieve the goals of the individual; and
       ``(III) to develop the knowledge potential of the 
     individual.
       ``(iii) The term `school' means an elementary school or 
     secondary school (as such terms are defined in section 14101 
     of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
     U.S.C. 8801)), a Head Start program assisted under the Head 
     Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), and a child care facility 
     operated by a provider who meets the applicable State or 
     local government licensing, certification, approval, or 
     registration requirements, if any.
       ``(4) No employee may take more than a total of 12 
     workweeks of leave under paragraphs (1) and (3) during any 
     12-month period.''.
       (b) Schedule.--Section 6382(b)(1) of such title is amended 
     by inserting after the second sentence the following: ``Leave 
     under subsection (a)(3) 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) 
     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) of such title is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) In any case in which the necessity for leave under 
     subsection (a)(3) is foreseeable, 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. If the 
     necessity for the leave is not foreseeable, the employee 
     shall provide such notice as is practicable.''.
       (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) be supported by a 
     certification issued at such time and in such manner as the 
     Office of Personnel Management may by regulation 
     prescribe.''.

     SEC. 204. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       This title takes effect 120 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act.

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