[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 28, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THE INTRODUCTION OF THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE INCLUSION ACT (FMLA)

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 28, 2009

  Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today I am pleased to reintroduce the 
Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act, which amends the FMLA to permit 
leave to care for a domestic partner, same-sex spouse, parent-in-law, 
adult child, sibling, grandparent or child of a domestic partner, if 
that person has a serious health condition.
  The landmark 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act allows qualified 
workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave a year to care for 
newborns or to care for himself/herself, parents, children under 18 or 
a legal spouse if that person has a serious health condition. Since 
becoming law over sixteen years ago, it has allowed many tens of 
millions of Americans to take unpaid leave without the risk of losing 
their jobs.
  But, imagine if your domestic partner, same-sex spouse, adult child, 
parent-in-law, or grandparent was involved in a serious car accident 
and had no one to take care of him or her. Then imagine your employer 
telling you that you can't take a few unpaid days off work to care for 
your loved one because your relationship is not covered by FMLA. This 
situation sounds preposterous, but there is no protection for you in 
current law. That is why the FMLA Inclusion Act is so important.
  This session, the bill was improved to permit leave to care for the 
child of a domestic partner. Often, domestic partners are not able to 
adopt their partner's child, even when that person is the only parent 
the child has ever known. The FMLA Inclusion Act would ensure those 
children can be cared for by the person they call ``Mom'' or ``Dad.''
  I am pleased that the Human Rights Campaign has endorsed this 
legislation, and I am proud to introduce it with the support of 
original cosponsors Representatives Baldwin, Woolsey, Frank, Polis, 
Delahunt, Hirono, Farr, Israel and Nadler.
  The FMLA Inclusion Act represents simple fairness, and I look forward 
to working with my colleagues to ensure that this fairness prevails.

                          ____________________