WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on the 32nd anniversary of the historic Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced legislation to expand and modernize FMLA. The Caring for All Families Act would guarantee small necessities leave and update the definition of ‘family’ to increase the types of caregiving relationships protected by FMLA.
“The needs of families have changed in the last thirty years, but the law has not kept up. Every day, more than 50 million Americans juggle work and caregiving for family, a partner, or a friend. Under FMLA, almost half of American workers do not qualify for caregiver leave, and many are forced to sacrifice earnings to meet their responsibilities as caregivers,” said Congresswoman Hayes. “The Caring for All Families Act builds upon FMLA to allow more Americans leave to care for a loved one. I am grateful to Senator Durbin for partnering with me on this legislation, and I will continue to work to protect and expand the rights of workers.”
“No one should have to choose between caring for a loved one and losing their job,” said Senator Durbin. “Family caregiving needs have become more demanding, and we need to update our laws to fit the needs of 21st century families. Congresswoman Hayes and I are leading an effort to expand family leave job protections through the Caring for All Families Act, to ensure all workers have the same rights to fulfill their caregiving responsibilities.”
The Caring for All Families Act would:
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Update the FMLA definition of family to include a domestic partner, parent-in-law, aunt, uncle, sibling, adult child, grandparent, grandchild, son- or daughter-in-law, and other significant relationships; and
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Guarantee that parents and other family caregivers have the ability to take time off to attend a medical appointment or school function, such as a parent-teacher conference, without risk of losing their jobs.
The Caring for All Families Act has been cosponsored in the House of Representatives by Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Danny Davis (IL-07), Don Beyer (VA-08), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Sean Casten (IL-06), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Chuy Garcia (IL-04), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Adam Smith (WA-09), Andre Carson (IN-07), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Dwight Evans (PA-02), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Ayana Pressley (MA-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Johnny Olszewski (MD-02), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Steve Cohen (TN-09), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), and Morgan McGarvey (KY-03).
In the Senate, the Caring for Survivors Act has been cosponsored by Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Peter Welch (D-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).
The Caring for All Families Act has been endorsed by National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, MomsRising, National Organization for Women, Paid Leave for All, National Women’s Law Center, Center for American Progress, National Partnership for Women and Families, National Employment Law Project, A Better Balance, Abortion Access Missouri, American Association of University Women, The Arc of the United States, Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy, Caring Across Generations, Center for Law and Social Policy, The Center for Science in the Public Interest, Center for WorkLife Law, Equal Rights Advocates, Family Forward Oregon, Family Values @ Work, Institute for Women's Policy Research, Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition, Legal Aid at Work, Main Street Alliance, MANA, A National Latina Organization, Mother Forward, National Alliance for Caregiving, National Association of Social Workers, National Council of Jewish Women, NC Families Care Coalition, NJ Citizen Action, NJ Time to Care Coalition, Reproductive Freedom for All, Shriver Center on Policy Law, United for Respect, and Women Employed.