[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11639]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        INTRODUCTION OF FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ENHANCEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 15, 2006

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the Family and Medical 
Leave Enhancement Act. This legislation is identical to legislation 
introduced by Senator Dodd of Connecticut.
  Mr. Speaker, since enactment in 1993, more than 50 million employees 
have taken leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The Act 
guarantees eligible employees working for covered employers access to 
up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave within any 12-month 
period to care for their health or the health of their families without 
putting their jobs or health insurance at risk. About 11 percent of 
private sector businesses are covered under FMLA; 77 percent of 
employees work in these covered businesses (although about 62 percent 
of employees are eligible for FMLA).
  According to data from a 2001 Department of Labor study, 52 percent 
of leave-takers have taken time off to care for their own serious 
illness; 26 percent have taken time off to care for a new child or for 
maternity disability reasons; 13 percent have taken time off to care 
for a seriously ill parent; 12 percent have taken time off to care for 
a seriously ill child; and 6 percent have taken time off to care for a 
seriously ill spouse. About 42 percent of leave takers are men; about 
58 percent of leave-takers are women. The median length of leave is 10 
days; 80 percent of leaves are for 40 days or fewer. About 73 percent 
of leave-takers earn $30,000 or more.
  While the Family and Medical Leave Act has proven invaluable to many 
Americans, too many are still not covered by the law and others cannot 
afford to take leave under the Act because leave is unpaid. Many women 
and men are unable to take time off to care for their families, whether 
due to the arrival of a new child or when a medical crisis strikes. 
More than three in four (78 percent) employees who have needed but who 
have not taken leave report that they simply could not afford it.
  The Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act would expand the scope and 
coverage of FMLA to ensure that even more American workers do not have 
to choose between job and family. Too many eligible individuals simply 
cannot afford unpaid leave. Many forgo leave or take the shortest 
amount of time possible because the current FMLA law requires only 
unpaid leave. The Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act would:
  Establish a pilot program to allocate grants to states to provide 
paid leave for at least 6 weeks to eligible employees responding to 
caregiving needs resulting from the birth or adoption of a child or 
family illness. States may provide for wage replacement directly or 
through an insurance program, such as a state temporary disability 
program or a state unemployment compensation program, or other 
mechanism. Such paid leave shall count toward an eligible employee's 12 
weeks of leave under FMLA.
  Expand the number of individuals eligible for FMLA by covering 
employers with 25 or more employees (to enable 13 million more 
Americans to take FMLA).
  Expand the reasons for leave to include eligible employees addressing 
domestic violence and its effects, which make the employee unable to 
perform the functions of the position of such employee or, to care for 
the son, daughter, or parent of the employee, if such individual is 
addressing domestic violence and its effects.
  Establish a pilot program within the federal government for the 
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to administer a partial or full 
wage replacement for at least 6 weeks to eligible employees responding 
to caregiving needs resulting from the birth or adoption of a child or 
other family caregiving needs. Such paid leave shall count toward an 
eligible employee's 12 weeks of leave under FMLA.
  Allows employees to use a total of 24 hours during any 12-month 
period to participate in a school activity of a son or daughter, such 
as a parent-teacher conference, or to participate in literacy training 
under a family literacy program.

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