Magaziner, RI Tourism and Labor Officials, Promote His Legislation to Guarantee Paid Vacation for All Workers

PROVIDENCE, RI - Today, U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02) joined representatives of the Rhode Island food, tourism, and hospitality industry and organized labor on Federal Hill in Providence to highlight his Protected Time Off (PTO) Act, legislation that would guarantee paid vacation for all American workers.

With tourism and hospitality among Rhode Island's largest industries, Magaziner and local industry and labor representatives discussed how guaranteeing paid vacation time benefits working people and the Ocean State's restaurants, hotels, attractions, and tourism economy.

View or download photos from the event here.

View or download full remarks from the event here.

"Everyone who works hard for a living deserves to take time off, and Rhode Island's hospitality industry is also primed to benefit from a guaranteed vacation policy," said Magaziner. "I am proud to support Rhode Island's strong tourism industry while delivering fairness forworkers through my Protected Time Off Act, which would guarantee paid vacation for every American worker. This common-sense effort gives working people the chance to recharge, spend time with their families, and enjoy everything that places like Rhode Island have to offer."

"A strong tourism economy depends on something simple: people need time and the ability to travel," said Rick Simone, Commissioner of the Providence Tourism Council. "When workers are able to use their vacation time, their spending supports our restaurants, hotels, tour operators, attractions, retailers, transportation, and people whose livelihoods depend on tourism. I thank Congressman Magaziner for his efforts with this bill."

"This bill is a quality-of-life bill," said Louise Bishop, President of the South County Tourism Council. "It is about respecting the hard-working individuals of Rhode Island's tourism and hospitality industry, the third leading economic driver in our state. I thank Congressman Magaziner for his vision and his continued effort for the greater good of our state and nation."

"We are one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and we should start having paid time off to take care of our workers," said David Dadekian, Founder of EatDrink RI. "Small businesses want their employees to have paid time off to keep them happy, and it will create more travel and bring more people to Rhode Island. Thank you to the Congressman for pushing this bill forward."

"I would like to personally thank Congressman Magaziner for pushing this legislation forward and supporting workers rights," said Dan Potts, Executive Director of SEIU State Council.

Magaziner's bill is gaining momentum in Washington. This month, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced companion legislation to Magaziner's PTO Act in the Senate. The legislation also recently earned the endorsement of the United States Tour Operators Association.

Polling shows that Magaziner's effort to guarantee paid vacation for all workers is popular across the political spectrum:

• Polling from Data for Progress found that 82 percent of likely voters support 2-weeks of paid vacation for full-time workers, as proposed in Magaziner's PTO Act. This strong support is across ideological lines, with 84 percent of Democrats, 83 percent of Independents, and 81 percent of Republicans supporting the proposal.

BACKGROUND:

The PTO Act was reintroduced in July of 2025 by Magaziner alongside Reps. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Greg Casar (TX-35), and Jasmine Crockett (TX-30) to guarantee paid vacation time for all workers. The bill has 86 cosponsors in the House.

The legislation:

• Provides all workers with guaranteed paid vacation time, usable for any reason and paid at their regular wage. Full-time workers will earn a minimum of two weeks of paid vacation per year.
• This is in addition to any paid sick leave or family and medical leave that workers already have under current law.
• Protects employees against discrimination for exercising their right to take annual paid time off.

More than 27 million private-sector workers in the United States, over one in five, receive no paid vacation at all.

The United States is the only advanced economy nation in the world that doesn't guarantee any paid vacation for workers. By contrast, the European Union guarantees workers at least 20 paid vacation days per year, with some countries mandating as many as 25 or 30 annual days off.

Full text of the PTO Act can be found here.

The PTO Act is endorsed by the AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), National Education Association (NEA), SMART (International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), UNITE HERE, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), Center for Law and Social Policy, Economic Opportunity Institute, Economic Policy Institute, Family Values @ Work, National Employment Law Project, National Partnership forWomen and Families, National Women's Law Center, Paid Leave for All, UnidosUS, and ZERO TO THREE.