Paid Leave for All Praises Chairman Neal’s Proposed ‘Building an Economy for Families Act’
Washington, DC — Today, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Richie Neal (D-MA) unveiled his Building an Economy for Families Act — a proposal that would establish a national, permanent paid family and medical leave policy for all workers and would expand access to child care.
The announcement of the proposal follows last week’s Ways and Means Committee hearing on paid leave and child care.
“As President Biden debuts his American Families Plan tomorrow, this new proposal demonstrates both Chairman Neal’s commitment to enacting a permanent, national paid leave policy and the growing momentum around the issue,” said Dawn Huckelbridge, Director of Paid Leave for All. “We look forward to working with the Committee and the Biden Administration to build back better by making paid family and medical leave a reality for all working people.”
Chairman Neal’s ‘Building an Economy for Families Act’ would include:
- 12 weeks of comprehensive paid family & medical leave for all FMLA purposes – to care for a new child, to care for a family member, and to care for your own medical needs
- Wage replacement for the average worker, who would receive about 2/3 of their wages while taking leave, with a progressive structure so that low-income earners earn a higher percentage
- Expansion of the definition of “family” to ensure that the policy is inclusive and covers all working families
- Rep. Neal is proposing that paid leave should be administered by the Department of Treasury, with the option for states and employers with existing programs to continue administering their benefits with reimbursement for the federal government.
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The Paid Leave for All campaign is a growing collaborative of organizations fighting for paid family and medical leave for all working people.