Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Mike Lee’s (R-UT) CRADLE Act would grant a new parent the ability to take a consecutive time period not exceeding three months and beginning within 90 days of the birth or adoption of the child. The pair are testing draft language and seeking input.
- Under the measure an eligible parent would receive payment determined by Social Security’s primary insurance amount, minus what they would receive from their employer or from state or local programs.
- The benefit would be an opt-in for new parents.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Sen. Patty Murray’s (D-WA) Healthy Families Act would mandate that employees may earn one hour of earned paid sick time for every 30 hours worked.
- Employees would be able to use the time:
- When they are ill;
- To care for a sick family member;
- To obtain preventive care; or
- To address the impacts of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault.
- Employers would not be required to permit an employee to earn more than 56 hours of paid sick time in a year.
As promised in his 2019 State of the Union address, President Trump’s budget for the Department of Labor includes a proposal to provide six weeks of paid parental leave to new parents, including adoptive parents, using the state-based Unemployment Insurance system. Beyond this, “[t]he Administration looks forward to working with Congress to advance policies that would make paid parental leave a reality for families across the Nation.”
None of the proposals provide any form of relief from the patchwork of state and local paid sick leave laws.
Why it matters: While it's unclear to be seen whether any one of these measures can gain momentum in Congress, the issue of paid family leave is becoming a bipartisan priority in Washington.
