[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 19 (Thursday, February 7, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S517]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF FMLA

  Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, today I wish to celebrate the 20th 
Anniversary of the enactment of The Family and Medical Leave Act, FMLA. 
For 20 years, this historic law has helped individuals balance their 
family and work obligations. As a husband, and the father of three 
daughters, the flexibility to care for your family and children without 
the fear of losing your job is invaluable.
  The passage of the FMLA represented a broad, bipartisan Congressional 
effort to improve working conditions for American families. Since the 
FMLA was signed into law by President Clinton in 1993, workers have 
used it more than 100 million times to take job-protected leave. Under 
the FMLA, an employee may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the 
birth or adoption of a child or placement of a foster child. An 
employee can also use the FMLA to care for a spouse, child or parent 
suffering from a serious health condition.
  At the core of the FMLA is the concept of flexibility. And that 
idea--not just flexibility in taking leave, but flexibility across the 
board, in all facets of the workplace experience--is something we must 
strive for in today's office environment. We must allow our workers to 
be productive and commit themselves to their jobs, while also allowing 
them to be great parents.
  In my home State of Colorado, we have expanded the benefits under the 
FMLA by adopting two additional State leave policies--Domestic Abuse 
Leave and Colorado Small Necessities Leave. Under Domestic Abuse Leave, 
employees who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault may 
take leave in order to seek various medical and legal services. 
Colorado Small Necessities Leave allows workers to take 18 hours of 
unpaid annual leave each school year in order to participate in their 
children's school activities, including attending parent/teacher 
conferences.
  Despite the vast improvements in practices since the enactment of the 
FMLA, our country still has a ways to go. Most part-time workers and 
nearly half of full-time workers are not eligible for leave under FMLA. 
And millions of employees who are eligible cannot afford to take unpaid 
leave. With this is mind, this law must not be considered an end, but 
instead a first step in the right direction--there is room for 
improvement. For example, we should consider expanding the definition 
of a family to include members of the LGBT community.
  But it is a worthwhile start, and so again, I would like to take this 
opportunity to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the FMLA. I hope we 
can use the upcoming session of Congress to look for ways to strengthen 
this important law.

                          ____________________