Sponsors (5)
The bill significantly expands and clarifies protected leave for servicemembers, caregivers, and a broader set of family/close-associate relationships—improving support for military families and federal employees—while imposing measurable staffing, administrative, fiscal, and privacy costs on employers and agencies.
Servicemembers with service-related serious injury or illness and federal employees who are servicemembers can take up to 26 workweeks of protected leave in a 12-month period, and family caregivers may take up to 26 weeks to care for a covered servicemember.
Employees caring for covered servicemembers — including domestic partners, same‑sex and opposite‑sex partners, and a broader set of family members or 'close associates' — gain clearer eligibility and expanded caregiver protections (e.g., child care regardless of age).
Clearer definitions (e.g., reserve and State active duty, son/daughter, grandparent, sibling, in‑laws, and 'close association') plus explicit certification rules reduce legal ambiguity and standardize documentation expectations for employers and agencies.
Employers (including small businesses) and federal agencies may face substantial increased staffing and operational costs—temporary hires, overtime, or redistributed work—when employees use up to 26 weeks of leave.
Broader family definitions and 'close association' are likely to increase leave claims and contested eligibility decisions, creating additional administrative burden and more disputes over certifications for employers and agencies.
Low-income workers who cannot afford extended unpaid time off risk reduced earnings and lost job-advancement opportunities if they take long leaves.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Expands FMLA and federal civilian leave definitions to add domestic partners and broader family/close‑association categories, clarifies military duty, and provides 26 workweeks for servicemember care leave.
Expands who counts as family under the Family and Medical Leave Act and changes federal civilian leave rules so more people connected to servicemembers and veterans can take leave. It broadens definitions (including domestic partners and a wider set of relatives and close associations), clarifies qualifying military duty, and creates or confirms a 26-workweek leave entitlement to care for covered servicemembers or veterans with serious service‑connected injuries or illnesses. The bill updates both the private‑sector FMLA definitions and the federal civilian employee leave statute to align coverage, adds new family categories (like grandchildren, grandparents, in‑laws, and individuals with family‑equivalent close associations), tightens certification cross‑references, and requires reasonable notice when leave is foreseeable.
Introduced May 12, 2025 by Tammy Duckworth · Last progress May 12, 2025