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By: FEDweek StaffEfforts to plug the gaps in the paid parental leave authority for federal employees are continuing, although none of the several proposals has yet advanced in Congress and disagreements are arising about potential further changes to the authority.
Most federal employees will be entitled to 12 weeks of paid parental leave effective with births, adoptions or foster placements occurring after September 30. However, because the law as written applies only to employees under the Title 5 body of federal personnel law, tens of thousands of employees whose jobs fall under other sections of the law are left out.
Bills previously were introduced in Congress to erase that distinction in general, along with one specifically targeting FAA employees under Title 49. Most recently, a new bill (HR-6036) was offered to specifically include VA medical personnel under Title 38. Those two groups make up the bulk of those excluded, although several other categories of employees also currently are left out, including TSA personnel other than screeners (who were specifically included even though they are not under Title 5).
However, none of those bills has advanced to even a committee-level vote even though they have drawn at least some Republican support. A complication arose when the White House budget request, while endorsing a general expansion, also asked for several changes to the upcoming authority.
Those changes would include allowing the leave to be used only after the birth or placement of a child rather than also before as is currently allowed for unpaid leave; limiting the amount available for foster care placements; offsetting the 12 weeks with any paid parental leave provided under other authorities; and limiting the amount to 12 weeks per child rather than per parent, a consideration for two-federal-employee couples.
The NTEU union meanwhile has objected to those proposed changes in a letter to OPM. No legislation reflecting those proposals has yet been introduced.
Two Approaches Offered for Plugging Paid Parental Leave Gap, Including Bipartisan Bill
