Congress moves to guarantee paid sick leave for millions of workers

What it does

This bill requires employers with 1+ employees to provide workers with at least 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked (capped at 56 hours/year unless the employer chooses higher), usable for the employee's own health needs, family care, or absences related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Employees can begin using accrued time after 60 days of employment, and unused time carries over year to year. The bill covers most private-sector workers, federal employees, and state/local employees whose employers receive federal funding.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is a straightforward labor standard: employers must accrue and allow use of paid sick time. It is not a subsidy, tax carve-out, or deregulation; it is a floor-setting employment protection.

What the text implies

• Employers with existing paid-leave policies that meet or exceed the standard are exempt from the accrual requirement, creating an incentive to maintain or expand existing leave policies rather than adopt the minimum.
• The 60-day waiting period before use (though accrual begins immediately) may disadvantage short-tenure workers and those in high-turnover industries.
• Carryover of unused time year-to-year could accumulate significant liability for employers, potentially incentivizing stricter leave-use policies or higher wage rates to offset the benefit.
• Domestic violence and sexual assault provisions require certification only after 3 consecutive workdays, but the bill does not explicitly address how employers must handle requests for single-day absences related to these issues.
• The bill applies to rail carriers and includes special enforcement provisions, but does not address how the accrual standard interacts with existing railroad labor agreements or crew-scheduling practices.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Ordinary workers gain a concrete, enforceable right to paid time off for health and family care without fear of retaliation or job loss, addressing a significant gap in U.S. labor protections. The bill includes strong anti-retaliation provisions, private right of action, and attorney's fees, making enforcement accessible to workers.

Named in the bill

Department of Labor, Secretary of Labor, Government Accountability Office, Library of Congress, Fair Labor Standards Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Violence Against Women Act, Congressional Accountability Act, Merit Systems Protection Board, Office of Personnel Management

Where it stands

35 cosponsors: 34 Democrats, 1 Independents.

• Feb 12, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Feb 12, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 1 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $470,905 in lobbying spend. A filing names 38 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

Bernie Sanders, the sponsor, reported $-5,000 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Int'l Ass'n of Sheet Metal Air Rail & Transp Workers Transp Div — $470,905 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.