Sponsors (33)
Introduced February 12, 2026 by Bernard Sanders · Last progress February 12, 2026
The bill guarantees a federal minimum of paid sick leave and stronger enforcement and privacy protections for workers — improving access to care and remedies for many Americans — while imposing new compliance costs, litigation risk, and implementation complexity that will most affect small employers and state governments.
Low‑wage, part‑time, and family caregivers (e.g., parents, people who care for sick relatives) gain a guaranteed minimum of paid sick leave (earn 1 hour per 30 worked, up to 56 hours/year) and broad permitted uses for illness, caregiving, preventive care, and domestic‑violence needs.
Workers (private and covered public employees) get stronger enforcement tools and remedies — they can recover unpaid wages, interest, liquidated damages, attorney’s fees, and can rely on Department of Labor investigations and subpoenas — improving the chance of making whole employees denied pay or leave.
Employees who already have more generous employer, union, or state/local leave protections keep those benefits (the bill does not preempt stronger laws or allow private waivers), preserving higher pay/leave where it exists.
Employers — especially small businesses — face substantial new costs and administrative burdens (accrual tracking, payroll, recordkeeping, notice posting, producing records for enforcement), which could affect hiring, wages, or prices.
Expanded private lawsuits, liquidated damages, fee awards, and a waiver of state sovereign immunity for some claims increase litigation risk and potential budgetary exposure for employers and state governments.
Complex interactions with existing laws, collective bargaining agreements, FMLA, railway labor rules, and many cross‑references create legal uncertainty and compliance complexity for multi‑state employers and employers operating under special regimes.
Based on analysis of 13 sections of legislative text.
Requires most employers to provide paid sick leave that employees accrue at a rate of at least 1 hour per 30 hours worked, up to 56 hours per year, usable for an employee’s own illness, medical care, preventive care, to care for covered family or other defined persons, and for needs arising from domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. The law sets rules for accrual, use, carryover, documentation, confidentiality, employer notice and posting, anti-retaliation protections, enforcement by the Department of Labor and private lawsuits, data collection, and a GAO evaluation; it preserves stronger employer or state/local leave laws and collective bargaining arrangements.