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Thursday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 258-154 in favor of H.R. 626, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act (FEPPLA).
The bipartisan bill, sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and cosponsored by 55 others, extends four weeks of paid leave to federal employees with a newly born, adopted, or fostered child. Under current law, federal employees may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave when caring for a newborn, forcing many new families to choose between a paycheck and caring for their child.
“Faced by a slumping economy, federal employees are increasingly unable to afford the option of taking unpaid leave after the birth of a child,” said NFFE National President Richard N. Brown. “This puts some federal employees in the unenviable position of having to delay starting a family because of the financial hardship associated with lost wages. A paid parental leave benefit is a good idea for a lot of good reasons, but above all else, it’s the right thing to do.”
NFFE has always been a strong supporter of obtaining paid parental leave for federal employees. Having won passage in the House Thursday, our efforts are now refocused on getting this bill through the Senate, and delivering this important benefit for federal employees.
“We applaud the House for taking the initiative on this crucial piece of legislation,” said Brown. “We look forward to working with members of the Senate and Obama Administration in making this bill the law.”