New Legislation Aims To Secure Paid Leave For American Workers

On September 16, 2025, a press conference was held by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro to announce the introduction of the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act.

According to the announcement, the act guarantees up to 12 weeks of partial income for workers who need to take leave due to serious medical or family events. 

73 percent of American workers do not have access to paid leave. $22.5 billion per year in wages is lost by working families due to a lack of paid family and medical leave.

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Senator Gillibrand and Representative DeLauro noted the Family Act would provide paid leave for workers in several major life events, including, recovering from their own serious health condition, caring for a family member with a serious health condition, bonding with a new child, handling responsibilities related to a family member’s military deployment, and taking safe leave to respond to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

Without universal paid leave, millions of Americans are forced to make devastating choices between their livelihood and the health of themselves or their families. By guaranteeing up to 12 weeks of paid leave for workers who have to take time off for a major life event, the Family Act will end these impossible decisions. I am proud to have led the fight for paid leave alongside Representative DeLauro for over a decade, and I’ll continue fighting for this program for as long as it takes so we can give every worker the flexibility and dignity they deserve. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

For complete information on the Family Act, visit the bill text here.

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