Sponsors (36)
Official title: Allow Americans to earn paid sick time so that they can address their own health needs and the health needs of their families.
Introduced February 12, 2026 by Bernard Sanders · Last progress February 12, 2026
The bill guarantees a federal floor of paid sick leave and strengthens enforceability and inclusivity for many workers, while imposing notable costs, administrative complexity, and litigation risk on employers (especially small and multi‑state businesses) and some additional federal spending.
Millions of workers — especially low- and middle-income employees and parents — gain a guaranteed floor of paid sick leave (at least 1 hour per 30 worked, up to 56 hours/year) that can be used for medical care, preventive care, caregiving, and needs arising from domestic violence/sexual assault, with accrual beginning at hire and reinstatement on rehire.
Workers covered by contracts, collective bargaining agreements, or stronger state/local laws keep any earned or bargained-for paid leave (the federal law creates a floor, not a ceiling), preserving negotiated benefits and preventing erosion of existing protections.
Employees gain stronger enforcement and legal protections — explicit anti-retaliation rights, the ability to sue for back pay, liquidated damages, and equitable relief, fee‑shifting to help plaintiffs, extended limitations for willful violations, and Secretary investigative/subpoena powers — improving real-world enforceability.
Employers — particularly small businesses — face materially higher labor and compliance costs (mandated accrual, reinstatement, wage floors for paid time, recordkeeping, certification handling), which may be passed to consumers, reduce hiring, or squeeze margins.
The law increases litigation and administrative exposure for employers (claims for retaliation, wage/damages suits, fee awards, disputes over whether contracts provide greater benefits, classification conflicts for rail roles), likely raising legal costs and court/agency caseloads.
Implementation and enforcement are administratively complex: short federal rulemaking timelines, staggered effective dates for workplaces with collective bargaining agreements, cross‑jurisdictional issues from expanded VAWA definitions, and coordination with differing state/local laws will complicate compliance and regulation.
Based on analysis of 13 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a federal paid sick leave floor: 1 hour per 30 worked (up to 56 hours/year), carryover, use for family and domestic‑violence needs, and enforcement protections.
Establishes a federal minimum paid sick leave requirement that gives most employees at least 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to 56 hours per year, with carryover, anti‑retaliation protections, posting and recordkeeping rules, and enforcement by the Secretary. The law preserves existing collective bargaining and employer-provided leave that is more generous and extends coverage and definition rules to include certain federal legislative-branch employees and specified railroad workers. The bill directs agencies to write implementing regulations on a set timetable, creates civil and administrative enforcement mechanisms, requires annual data collection and a GAO study, and authorizes funding for a public education campaign about the new rights.