Reps. Davis, Maloney, House Majority Leader Hoyer Introduce Bill That Would Provide Parental Leave To Federal Employees

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 31 Jul 2007 - 3:00 PDT

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Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Tom Davis (R-Va.) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) earlier this week introduced legislation (HR 3158) that would provide female federal employees with eight weeks of paid paternal leave, the Washington Post reports. According to the Post, the measure is similar to a bill (S 80) introduced by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) in January.

Stevens' measure would provide eight weeks of paid leave to female federal employees after they give birth and five days of paid leave to men whose partners have given birth (Barr, Washington Post, 7/27). The bill also would provide parents eight hours of paid leave to take a child to a physician appointment, meet with a child's teacher or attend a school function. Stevens in March introduced a similar measure (S 880) that would provide female Senate, Government Accountability Office and Library of Congress employees with eight weeks of paid maternity leave and male employees one week of leave (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 3/21).

Maloney also has proposed expanding the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act to provide at least six weeks of paid leave to eligible federal employees for the birth or adoption of a child or for a family illness. Stevens and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) also are sponsoring a bill (S 1681) that would provide up to eight weeks of leave for workers who need time off for births, adoptions and family illnesses.

"The federal government should be leading the way and providing its employees with a truly family-friendly workplace," Maloney said in a statement. Hoyer said paid parental leave "is commonplace in the private sector," and it would be "a simple way to recognize the value of the federal work force." Bush administration officials in past years have resisted adding paid paternal leave to federal employee benefits, saying that it would not improve recruitment and retention of employees and that federal employees already have a "generous package" of benefits for family responsibilities, the Post reports.

According to the Post, two hearings on the measure introduced by Hoyer, Davis and Maloney have been held, and more are scheduled for after Labor Day (Washington Post, 7/27).

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