Sponsors (35)
Introduced February 12, 2026 by Bernard Sanders · Last progress February 12, 2026
The bill secures a federal paid‑sick‑leave floor and stronger enforcement and inclusivity for many workers, while imposing meaningful costs, administrative complexity, and litigation risk on employers and some burden on taxpayers.
Millions of employees — especially low- and middle-income workers and parents — gain a federal floor of paid sick leave (at least 1 hour per 30 worked, up to 56 hours/year) usable for medical care, preventive care, caregiving, and domestic-violence-related needs, improving health and income continuity.
Employees gain stronger enforcement tools: private suits for backpay, liquidated damages, equitable relief, fee-shifting for prevailing plaintiffs, an extended statute of limitations for willful violations, and investigatory/subpoena power for the Secretary — increasing the likelihood that violations will be corrected and harms remedied.
Workers covered by contracts, collective bargaining agreements, or stronger state/local laws keep any earned or bargained-for paid leave (the federal law acts as a floor), preserving negotiated or locally expanded benefits and protecting union bargaining outcomes.
Small businesses and other employers face materially higher operating and compliance costs (mandated accrual, reinstatement, confidential medical recordkeeping, posting, and potential fines or damages), which could be passed to consumers, constrain hiring, or increase pressure on taxpayers.
The law substantially increases litigation and administrative burdens (more wrongful-termination/retaliation claims, disputes over greater benefits in contracts/plans, fee-shifting that incentivizes suits, and expanded investigation/subpoena activity), raising legal risk and costs for employers and courts.
Employers operating across jurisdictions will face complex, potentially conflicting compliance obligations because the Act creates a federal floor while preserving varied state/local rules and staggers effective dates for workplaces under collective bargaining agreements.
Based on analysis of 13 sections of legislative text.
Requires most employers to provide paid sick leave accrual (1 hour per 30 worked, up to 56 hours/year), plus protections, enforcement, reporting, and preservation of stronger local laws.
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, and creates protections, posting and recordkeeping rules, enforcement authority, and reporting requirements. It preserves stronger state or local paid-leave laws and existing employer-provided leave, sets effective dates tied to Department of Labor regulations, and allows employees a private right of action and administrative enforcement by the Secretary.