Sponsors (53)
The bill expands access to paid voting leave and creates federal enforcement for employees of larger employers, improving voting access and protections, while imposing compliance costs and penalties on employers and leaving workers at small firms without federal coverage.
Employees of covered employers (those with 25+ employees) receive at least two consecutive hours of paid leave on Federal election days to vote or perform voting-related activities.
Employees who take voting leave keep their accrued employment benefits (no loss of prior benefits) when using the paid leave.
Workers in jurisdictions with more generous state or local voting-leave laws keep those stronger protections (the federal rule preserves more generous state/local laws).
Workers at smaller employers (fewer than 25 employees) are excluded from the federal paid voting-leave protection and therefore may lack comparable access to paid election-day leave.
Employers with 25+ employees face additional administrative and payroll costs to provide two hours of paid leave on election days, which could increase operating costs.
Employers risk significant civil penalties (up to $10,000 per violation) and potential litigation costs for inadvertent violations or alleged retaliation under the statute.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires employers with 25+ employees to provide, on request, at least two consecutive hours of paid leave on Federal election days for voting and voting‑related activities.
Introduced August 5, 2025 by Nikema Williams · Last progress August 5, 2025
Requires employers with 25 or more employees engaged in commerce to provide, when requested by an employee, at least two consecutive hours of paid leave on any Federal election day while polls or voting sites are open so the employee can vote, return an in-person mailed ballot, or perform other voting-related activities. Employers may designate the two-hour window (including during early voting where state law allows), but cannot count scheduled meal or other break periods toward the two hours, and taking leave cannot reduce accrued employment benefits. Gives the Secretary of Labor investigatory authority similar to the Family and Medical Leave Act and allows civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation; definitions track the Fair Labor Standards Act and FMLA, and the rule does not preempt state or local laws that provide greater leave. The requirement takes effect starting with the first Federal election after enactment.