US Congress Senate Bill 497 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 33-2)
Status: Introduced on February 12 2015 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2015-02-12 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Pending: Senate Health, Education, Labor, And Pensions Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Healthy Families Act Requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to permit each employee to earn at least 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Authorizes small employers with fewer than 15 employees to provide the same paid sick time, but allows them to opt out. Requires any small employer that opts out to provide at least 56 hours of unpaid sick time to each employee per calendar year. Declares that an employer shall not be required to permit an employee to earn more than 56 hours of paid sick time in a calendar year, unless the employer chooses to set a higher limit. Allows employees to use such time to: (1) meet their own medical needs; (2) care for the medical needs of certain family members (including a domestic partner or the domestic partner's parent or child); or (3) seek medical attention, assist a related person, take legal action, or engage in other specified activities relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Prohibits an employer from interfering with an employee's exercise of such rights. Directs the Secretary of Labor to exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority for employees covered by this Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. Grants the same authority, for employees under their jurisdiction, to the Librarian of Congress, the Comptroller General, the Board of Directors of the Office of Compliance, and the Merit Systems Protection Board. Authorizes civil actions by employees, individuals, or their representatives for damages or equitable relief against employers who violate this Act. Waives a state's sovereign immunity with respect to a suit brought by an employee of a federally-assisted state program or activity for relief authorized under this Act. Requires the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to compile information annually on paid sick time and the Comptroller General to study related matters. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to discourage employers from adopting or retaining more generous leave policies.

Healthy Families Act

Sen. Patty Murray [D-WA]	Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY]	Sen. Bernard Sanders [I-VT]	Sen. Christopher Coons [D-DE]
Sen. Barbara Mikulski [D-MD]	Sen. Elizabeth Warren [D-MA]	Sen. Christopher Murphy [D-CT]	Sen. Robert Casey [D-PA]
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI]	Sen. Al Franken [D-MN]	Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL]	Sen. Sherrod Brown [D-OH]
Sen. Martin Heinrich [D-NM]	Sen. Tammy Baldwin [D-WI]	Sen. Cory Booker [D-NJ]	Sen. Mazie Hirono [D-HI]
Sen. Jeff Merkley [D-OR]	Sen. Gary Peters [D-MI]	Sen. Richard Blumenthal [D-CT]	Sen. Edward Markey [D-MA]
Sen. Patrick Leahy [D-VT]	Sen. Charles Schumer [D-NY]	Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D-MN]	Sen. Debbie Stabenow [D-MI]
Sen. Tim Kaine [D-VA]	Sen. Michael Bennet [D-CO]	Sen. Barbara Boxer [D-CA]	Sen. Tom Udall [D-NM]
Sen. Maria Cantwell [D-WA]	Sen. Ron Wyden [D-OR]	Sen. Jack Reed [D-RI]	Sen. Harry Reid [D-NV]
Sen. Angus King [I-ME]	Sen. Robert Menendez [D-NJ]	Sen. Benjamin Cardin [D-MD]

Date	Chamber	Action
2015-02-12	Senate	Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

HB932 (Same As) 2015-04-29 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/497/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/s497/BILLS-114s497is.pdf