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One to Keep An Eye On: The Strong Families Act


As with many employment and labor law related cases (and bills) that are being litigated around the country, there are always a few that stand out.  This is one to keep an eye on.


If last year was the year of minimum wage hikes and the Fight for $15 movement, perhaps this year belongs to the paid leave movement.  With one of President Donald Trump's daughters, Ivanka Trump, making paid leave a major talking point on Capitol Hill, this topic has been in the headlines over the past few months.

Recently, Republican Senator Deb Fischer and Independent Senator Angus King introduced the Strong Families Act which would provide for voluntary paid family leave.  The bill, also supported by Republican Representatives Mike Kelly and Terri Sewell would give a 25% tax credit to companies that offer between 2 and 12 weeks of paid leave.  The bill proposes covering both men and women in the workforce that need to care for a new child or sick family member.  The tax credit offered would apply only to wages at or below $72,000.00 and would be pro-rata based on the level of wage replacement.

I question whether a voluntary paid leave bill will give advocates of paid leave much of a reason to smile.  Natuarally, with a paid leave bill that is "only" voluntary, it does not give the bill the same teeth as a mandatory paid leave would provide.  However, progress is progress, right??

As some readers might recall, this proposed paid leave plan is less than the several additional weeks that had been proposed by the Trump Administration.  It is unclear if Ivanka Trump or even President Trump would throw their weight behind this bill.  However, as some have noted, an administration hungry for a legislative victory might just find this bill suitable enough to work to get passed through Congress.

Stay tuned.

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