Gillibrand, Boozman Introduce Landmark Bipartisan Bill To Expand Paid Family And Medical Leave

Gillibrand, Boozman Introduce Landmark Bipartisan Bill To Expand Paid Family And Medical Leave

Jul 16, 2026

Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and John Boozman (R-AR) introduced historic bipartisan legislation to expand Americans' access to paid family and medical leave. The More Paid Leave for More Americans Act would establish a competitive grant program for states that provide a minimum of six weeks of parental, caregiving, or medical leave, and it would create an interstate working group to coordinate and harmonize paid leave benefits across participating states.

"No American should have to choose between earning a paycheck and caring for a new baby, a sick parent, or their own health," said Senator Gillibrand. "The More Paid Leave for More Americans Act is a commonsense, bipartisan step toward solving a challenge facing millions of hardworking families. By empowering states to create robust paid parental, caregiving, and medical leave programs, this bill would help protect Americans' financial security and allow them the flexibility to deal with life's emergencies without sacrificing their income. I will fight to pass this bill through Congress and will continue working until every American has guaranteed access to paid family and medical leave."

"As a former business owner, father of three daughters and Member of Congress, I have learned just how much there is to gain from expanding paid leave resources for working families," said Senator Boozman. "Our bipartisan, bicameral approach offers a flexible way for more states and employers to help fewer Americans face the dilemma between career progression and financial security or meeting theirs or a loved one's needs. I am optimistic this model will spur wider adoption across the country and appreciated collaborating with my colleagues alongside passionate advocates to achieve meaningful progress that will support families and our economy."

Currently, nearly three-quarters of American workers do not have access to paid family leave. This means that millions of Americans are forced to make impossible choices between earning a living and caring for themselves or their loved ones in times of need, such as when they have a new baby, contract a serious illness, or have to care for an aging parent. A large body of research has shown that paid leaveimproves workers' mental health, boosts employee retention and productivity, and spurs economic growth.

The More Paid Leave for More Americans Act encourages states to work together with private companies to adopt or expand scalable, sustainable access to paid leavebenefits.

Specifically, the bill would:

• Establish a competitive three-year pilot grant program, administered by the Department of Labor, to states who enact a paid leave program meeting the following requirements:
  • Provides a minimum of six weeks of leave for any qualifying reason (parental, medical, or caregiving)
  • Is delivered by the state in partnership with a "private entity" such as an insurance company or benefits administrator
  • Provides, depending on earnings, a minimum 50-67% wage replacement, with benefits capped at 150% of the state's average weekly wage
• Establish the Interstate Paid LeaveAction Network, or I-PLAN, to coordinate and harmonize paid leavebenefits across participating states. This would benefit employers, states, and employees by facilitating streamlined benefit delivery and reducing administrative burdens.
  • States would receive a conforming grant between $1.5 and $8 million annually to participate in "good faith" in the I-PLAN.
  • States would also separately be eligible for implementation grants of between $1.5 and $8 million annually to help with costs associated with aligning their state paid leave program with the I-PLAN requirements, including administrative costs, technology, staffing and training, and outreach.
• Instruct the Department of Labor to prioritize pilot program grants for states that do not currently have an established paid leave program, emphasize paid family leave, participate in I-PLAN, and have a lower percentage of the working population with access to paid leavebenefits.

The More Paid Leave for More Americans Act is endorsed by Engage: Promoting Women's Economic Security, AARP, Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) Action, Third Way, Chamber of Mothers, the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality, and Patriot Voices. Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Reps. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA).

Senator Gillibrand is the Senate's foremost champion for paid family and medical leave. Since 2013, she has repeatedly introducedthe Family and Medical Insurance Leave(FAMILY) Act, which would establish a national program guaranteeing 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for every American. In 2023, Senator Gillibrand ledthe establishment of a bipartisan, bicameral paid leave working group to generate ideas for a national paid leave policy.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

A section-by-section summary of the bill can be found here.

A one-pager on the bill can be foundhere.

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