Baldwin Helps Introduce Updated Emergency Paid Leave; Small Business Support Legislation in Response to Worsening Coronavirus Crisis

PAID Leave Act builds on bipartisan agreement in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to ensure U.S. has a federal paid leave policy

Under new PAID Leave Act, all workers will be allowed to take advantage of 14 paid sick days and 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave

Bill will fully and quickly reimburse employers for all paid sick days and paid leave in 2020 and 2021 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, helped introduce the PAID Leave Act (Providing Americans Insured Days of Leave Act). The PAID Leave Act is a comprehensive emergency paid sick days and paid family and medical leave bill—fully funded by the federal government during this emergency—to provide additional support to workers and businesses during the coronavirus outbreak and future public health emergencies. The bill is led by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT).

“The Senate must guarantee workers don’t lose pay when they stay home sick, or go without a paycheck to take care of children who are now home from school. We also need to provide financial support to employers for all paid sick days and paid leave so they can provide it to workers,” said Senator Baldwin. “As the coronavirus outbreak gets worse in Wisconsin and across the country we must take action on the PAID Leave Act in order to provide more support for workers and businesses.”

Because small businesses across the country continue to feel the effects of the public health crisis, the bill will fully and quickly reimburse employers for all paid sick days and paid leave in 2020 and 2021. In order to ensure that businesses do not need to wait for tax credits, the bill will only require employers to provide documentation to the Department of Labor (DOL) to demonstrate they paid out sick days or leave in order to receive reimbursement. After 2021, the bill would allow workers to accrue seven paid sick days and establish a self-sustaining family and medical leave insurance program for all workers.

For all employees and independent contractors, this bill would:

• Provide 14 emergency paid sick days in the event of a public health emergency, including the current coronavirus crisis, reimbursed in full by the federal government.
• Provide workers with 12 weeks emergency paid family and medical leave, fully reimbursed by the federal government.
• Permanently ensure workers can accrue 7 paid sick days.
• Permanently enact a paid family and medical leave program.

The bill is being endorsed by: National Partnership for Women and Families, CLASP, Family Values at Work, Paid Leave for All, Center for American Progress, American Federation of Teachers.