Pennsylvania’s Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Oklahoma’s Representative Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Paid Family Leave Working Group, unveiled a new report on Monday. The report summarizes the group’s first year of operation and six Member-level meetings. It paves the way for a legislative framework that the Working Group plans to finalize and distribute in the coming weeks.
“In January 2023, we proudly launched the bipartisan Paid Family Leave Working Group in the House of Representatives. This is the first bipartisan working group of Members dedicated to this issue,” the group stated in the report. The primary objective of the working group is to design bipartisan paid leave policies that will provide the much-needed support to American workers, families, and businesses.
The Working Group began its journey by developing a comprehensive understanding of the problem. They familiarized themselves with relevant stakeholders and explored all potential solutions. Over the past year, they conducted six member-level informational briefings involving a diverse group of over 40 stakeholders for a thorough exploration of paid family leave policy.
The briefings started in February with a commemoration of the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The group learned from key players involved in the FMLA’s passage about creating a sustainable policy that supports workers, families, and businesses. In the following seven months, they heard from state paid leave program administrators, representatives from private insurance companies offering paid family leave benefits, small business owners, representatives of large employers and trade associations, and advocates from caregiving communities. These interactions enriched their understanding of the issue as they prepare to transition into shaping policy solutions in 2024.
Alongside Co-Chairs Houlahan and Bice, the evenly divided House group includes Representatives Colin Allred (D-TX), Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (R-IA), Hayley Stevens (D-MI), and Julia Letlow (R-LA). Their collective effort is a significant step towards supporting American workers, families, and businesses through a comprehensive paid family leave policy.
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