Healthy Families Act and FAMILY Act Reintroduced in 118th Congress

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Senator Bernie Sanders (VT) reintroduced the Healthy Families Act, and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) reintroduced the FAMILY Act. If passed, these acts will create an equitable national paid sick and safe days policy and a national paid family and medical leave policy for employees who do not have these vital protections. Once passed, these pieces of legislation will prevent millions of people from living with the impossible “choice” of deciding between taking time to care for themselves and the ones they love or working while sick to provide for themselves and their families. We were proud to lead a fly-in with our Network last week focused on these essential issues. 

Paid family and medical leave and paid sick and safe days are distinct policies, meant to solve distinct problems that we have helped to make real across the country. In 12 states there is now paid family and medical leave, and in 64 jurisdictions people have access to paid sick and safe days. These policies transformed the lives of more than 55 million people.

The Healthy Families Act would apply to all employers with 15 or more employees and would allow workers to use their sick days to care for themselves or a family member who is ill. It also includes a provision that would prevent retaliation against workers who use their sick days. This essential policy includes an inclusive family definition and would cover all reasons 

The Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act) will establish a paid family and medical leave program that provides workers with twelve weeks of paid time off for all FMLA reasons for all kinds of families. This program follows the best practice from our two decades of advocacy of ensuring that low-wage workers receive more of their income. 

“We look forward to working with Congress to champion guaranteed paid family and medical leave, paid sick and safe days, and all of the policies we know create shared prosperity for working people including affordable child care, living wages, and access to healthcare,” said Josephine Kalipeni, executive director, Family Values @ Work. “The families we represent cannot afford anything less than a comprehensive paid leave program and adequate paid sick and safe days.”

In a nation that underpays, disrespects, and undervalues caregivers, we are stronger as a community and a nation when we claim our right to care. When we have time to care, our families are healthier, our communities are safer, and we advance toward equity. Time to care is a right all workers have by virtue of their humanness: It doesn’t have to be earned or accrued. It is a right that must be equitably accessible by all––no matter where you live, where you work, or who you love.

We commend Rep. DeLauro and Sens. Sanders and Gillibrand––as well as Sen. Patty Murray––for their ongoing leadership and support in our movement. We can make this happen by passing the Healthy Families Act and the FAMILY Act into law. Introducing these bills is a critical first step in the right direction to transform the nation’s care economy and make time to care a right accessible to all workers.

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Family Values @ Work is a movement network of organizers and grassroots coalitions in more than two dozen states working to win paid family and medical leave, earned sick and safe days, and affordable, high-quality childcare at the state and national levels.