The House of Representatives bill, H.R. 2500 and the Senate counterpart, S.1790, have passed both chambers of Congress according to congress.gov. The official website shows the legislation as “passed” and in a stage entitled “resolving differences” as of early Thursday morning– this is the last step before the bill is sent to the President to become law. The law is one of a dozen budgetary bills that are needed to fund the government and prevent a shutdown. With the President’s signature, this will be the eleventh to pass, leaving only one left.
‘The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020’ is significant for federal employees because, among other authorizations, it decrees 12 weeks of paid leave for parents of a newborn or newly adopted foster child. The leave is contingent on the employee working at least 12 weeks following their time of absence unless either the parent or child are inflicted by a medical complication that prevents the federal worker’s return.
While this will have a huge positive impact on a large portion of the Government’s workforce, it does not extend to private companies and doesn’t include medical leave to care for a sick family member. The 12-week unpaid leave policy that is currently in place will still be available for those difficult circumstances. Organizations that advocate on behalf of Feds, such as the AFGE (American Federation for Government Employees) and NARFE (National Active & Retired Federal Employees Association) applauded the passage of paid parental leave but noted they were still fighting for provisions to grant paid leave for medical care of a spouse or other close relative.
Until Next Time,
**Written by Benjamin Derge, Financial Planner. The information has been obtained from sources considered reliable but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Any opinions are those of Benjamin Derge and not necessarily those of RJFS or Raymond James. Links are being provided for information purposes only. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse, authorize, or sponsor any of the listed websites or their respective sponsors.
Family Leave for Federal Employees