Sponsors (18)
The bill expands paid time off for voting to improve voter access and protects workers' accrued benefits, but it imposes new costs, potential operational disruptions, and enforcement/compliance burdens on employers.
Employees at covered workplaces can take at least 2 consecutive hours of paid leave on Federal election days to vote or perform voting-related activities, increasing access to voting for working Americans.
Creates federal enforcement authority and monetary penalties (up to $10,000) plus DOL investigatory power to deter employer violations, making the leave requirement more enforceable in practice.
Workers retain accrued benefits they earned before taking voting leave, so taking leave does not reduce prior benefits or service accruals.
Employers with 25 or more employees will face additional administrative and payroll costs to provide paid voting leave, raising operating expenses for affected businesses.
The law creates potential civil penalties (up to $10,000 per violation) and expanded DOL enforcement, which could produce significant fines, litigation risk, and compliance costs for employers.
If employers must designate the 2-hour paid period during peak business hours, required employee absences could disrupt operations and service, especially for small employers and customers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced July 30, 2025 by Mazie Hirono · Last progress July 30, 2025
Requires private-sector employers with 25 or more employees to give any employee, on request, at least two consecutive hours of paid leave on a 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 pick which two-hour period (including an early-voting period if state law allows), cannot count a lunch or other break as the two hours, and may not reduce benefits accrued before the leave. Gives the Secretary of Labor enforcement authority (similar to enforcement under FMLA), allows civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation (with factors to be considered in setting penalties), and preserves any state or local law that provides greater voting leave. The requirement takes effect for the first Federal election after the law is enacted.