I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 824 
To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and title 5, United 
States Code, to allow employees to take, as additional leave, parental 
involvement leave to participate in or attend their children’s and grand-
children’s educational and extracurricular activities, and to clarify that 
leave may be taken for routine family medical needs and to assist 
elderly relatives, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 3, 2009 
Mrs. MALONEY (for herself, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of Cali-
fornia, Ms. BALDWIN, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. ELLISON, 
Mr. FILNER, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, and Ms. NORTON) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government 
Reform and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and 
title 5, United States Code, to allow employees to take, 
as additional leave, parental involvement leave to partici-
pate in or attend their children’s and grandchildren’s 
educational and extracurricular activities, and to clarify 
that leave may be taken for routine family medical needs 
and to assist elderly relatives, and for other purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Family and Medical 
Leave Enhancement Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE. 
Section 101(2)(B)(ii) of the Family and Medical 
Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2611(2)(B)(ii)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘less than 50’’ each place it appears and in-
serting ‘‘fewer than 25’’. 
SEC. 3. ENTITLEMENT TO ADDITIONAL LEAVE UNDER THE 
FMLA FOR PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND 
FAMILY WELLNESS. 
(a) LEAVE REQUIREMENT.—Section 102(a) of the 
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 
2612(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(5) ENTITLEMENT TO ADDITIONAL LEAVE FOR 
PARENTAL
INVOLVEMENT
AND
FAMILY 
WELLNESS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B) and section 103(g), an eligible em-
ployee shall be entitled to leave under this para-
graph to— 
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‘‘(i) participate in or attend an activ-
ity that is sponsored by a school or com-
munity organization and relates to a pro-
gram of the school or organization that is 
attended by a son or daughter or a grand-
child of the employee; or 
‘‘(ii) meet routine family medical care 
needs, including for medical and dental ap-
pointments of the employee or a son, 
daughter, spouse, or grandchild of the em-
ployee, or to attend to the care needs of el-
derly individuals who are related to the eli-
gible employee, including visits to nursing 
homes and group homes. 
‘‘(B) LIMITATIONS.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—An eligible em-
ployee is entitled to— 
‘‘(I) not to exceed 4 hours of 
leave under this paragraph during any 
30-day period; and 
‘‘(II) not to exceed 24 hours of 
leave under this paragraph during any 
12-month period. 
‘‘(ii) COORDINATION
RULE.—Leave 
under this paragraph shall be in addition 
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to any leave provided under any other 
paragraph of this subsection. 
‘‘(C) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this para-
graph: 
‘‘(i) 
SCHOOL.—The 
term 
‘school’ 
means an elementary school or secondary 
school (as such terms are defined in sec-
tion 9101 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801)), a Head Start program assisted 
under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 
et seq.), or a child care facility. 
‘‘(ii) COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATION.— 
The term ‘community organization’ means 
a private nonprofit organization that is 
representative of a community or a signifi-
cant segment of a community and provides 
activities for individuals described in sub-
paragraph (A) or (B) of section 101(12), 
such as a scouting or sports organiza-
tion.’’. 
(b) SCHEDULE.—Section 102(b)(1) of such Act (29 
U.S.C. 2612(b)(1)) is amended by inserting after the third 
sentence the following new sentence: ‘‘Leave under sub-
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section (a)(5) may be taken intermittently or on a reduced 
leave schedule.’’. 
(c) 
SUBSTITUTION
OF
PAID
LEAVE.—Section 
102(d)(2) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2612(d)(2)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(C) PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT LEAVE AND 
FAMILY
WELLNESS
LEAVE.—An eligible em-
ployee may elect, or an employer may require 
the employee, to substitute any of the accrued 
paid vacation leave, personal leave, or family 
leave of the employee for any leave under sub-
section (a)(5). In addition, an eligible employee 
may elect, or an employer may require the em-
ployee, to substitute any of the accrued paid 
medical or sick leave of the employee for leave 
provided 
under 
clause 
(ii) 
of 
subsection 
(a)(5)(A) for any part of the leave under such 
clause, except that nothing in this title shall re-
quire an employer to provide paid sick leave or 
paid medical leave in any situation in which 
such employer would not normally provide any 
such paid leave. If the employee elects or the 
employer requires the substitution of accrued 
paid leave for leave provided under subsection 
(a)(5)(A), the employer shall not restrict or 
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limit this substitution or impose any additional 
terms and conditions on such leave that are 
more stringent on the employee than the terms 
and conditions set forth in this Act.’’. 
(d) NOTICE.—Section 102(e) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 
2612(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) NOTICE
RELATING
TO
PARENTAL
IN-
VOLVEMENT
AND
FAMILY
WELLNESS
LEAVE.—In 
any case in which an employee requests leave under 
paragraph (5) of subsection (a), the employee 
shall— 
‘‘(A) provide the employer with not less 
than 7 days’ notice or as much notice as is 
practicable before the date the leave is to be 
taken, of the employee’s intention to take leave 
under such paragraph; and 
‘‘(B) in the case of leave to be taken under 
subparagraph (A)(ii), make a reasonable effort 
to schedule the leave so as not to disrupt un-
duly the operations of the employer, subject to 
the approval of the health care provider in-
volved (if any).’’. 
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(f) CERTIFICATION.—Section 103 of such Act (29 
U.S.C. 2613) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(g) CERTIFICATION RELATED TO PARENTAL IN-
VOLVEMENT AND FAMILY WELLNESS LEAVE.—An em-
ployer may require that a request for leave under section 
102(a)(5) be supported by a certification issued at such 
time and in such manner as the Secretary may by regula-
tion prescribe.’’. 
(g) DEFINITION OF GRANDCHILD.—Section 101 of 
the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 
2611) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(14) GRANDCHILD.—The term ‘grandchild’ 
means a son or daughter of an employee’s son or 
daughter.’’. 
SEC. 4. ENTITLEMENT OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO LEAVE 
FOR PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND FAMILY 
WELLNESS. 
(a) LEAVE REQUIREMENT.—Section 6382(a) of title 
5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(5)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B)(i) and section 
6383(f), an employee shall be entitled to leave under this 
paragraph to— 
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‘‘(i) participate in or attend an activity that is 
sponsored by a school or community organization 
and relates to a program of the school or organiza-
tion that is attended by a son or daughter or a 
grandchild of the employee; or 
‘‘(ii) meet routine family medical care needs, in-
cluding for medical and dental appointments of a 
son, daughter, spouse, or grandchild of the em-
ployee, or to attend to the care needs of elderly indi-
viduals who are related to the eligible employee, in-
cluding visits to nursing homes and group homes. 
‘‘(B)(i) An employee is entitled to— 
‘‘(I) not to exceed 4 hours of leave under this 
paragraph during any 30-day period; and 
‘‘(II) not to exceed 24 hours of leave under this 
paragraph during any 12-month period. 
‘‘(ii) Leave under this paragraph shall be in addition 
to any leave provided under any other paragraph of this 
subsection. 
‘‘(C) For the purpose of this paragraph— 
‘‘(i) the term ‘school’ means an elementary 
school or secondary school (as such terms are de-
fined in section 9101 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965), a Head Start pro-
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gram assisted under the Head Start Act, and a child 
care facility licensed under State law; and 
‘‘(ii) the term ‘community organization’ means 
a private nonprofit organization that is representa-
tive of a community or a significant segment of a 
community and provides activities for individuals de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) or (B) of section 
6381(6), such as a scouting or sports organization.’’. 
(b) SCHEDULE.—Section 6382(b)(1) of such title is 
amended— 
(1) by inserting after the second sentence the 
following new sentence: ‘‘Leave under subsection 
(a)(5) may be taken intermittently or on a reduced 
leave schedule.’’; and 
(2) in the last sentence, by striking ‘‘involved,’’ 
and inserting ‘‘involved (or, in the case of leave 
under subsection (a)(5), for purposes of any 30-day 
or 12-month period),’’. 
(c) 
SUBSTITUTION
OF
PAID
LEAVE.—Section 
6382(d) of such title is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after the subsection des-
ignation; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) An employee may elect to substitute for leave 
under subsection (a)(5), any of the employee’s accrued or 
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accumulated annual or sick leave under subchapter I. If 
the employee elects to substitute accumulated annual or 
sick leave for leave provided under subsection (a)(5), the 
employing agency shall not restrict or limit this substi-
tution or impose any additional terms and conditions on 
such leave that are more stringent on the employee than 
the terms and conditions set forth in this subchapter.’’. 
(d) NOTICE.—Section 6382(e) of such title is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) In any case in which an employee requests leave 
under paragraph (5) of subsection (a), the employee 
shall— 
‘‘(A) provide the employing agency with not less 
than 7 days’ notice, before the date the leave is to 
be taken, of the employee’s intention to take leave 
under such paragraph; and 
‘‘(B) in the case of leave to be taken under sub-
paragraph (A)(ii), make a reasonable effort to 
schedule the leave so as not to disrupt unduly the 
operations of the employer, subject to the approval 
of the health care provider involved (if any).’’. 
(e) CERTIFICATION.—Section 6383(f) of such title is 
amended by striking ‘‘6382(a)(3)’’ and inserting ‘‘para-
graph (3) or (5) of section 6382(a)’’. 
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(f) DEFINITION OF GRANDCHILD.—Section 6381 of 
title 5, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (10), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (11), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(12) the term ‘grandchild’ means a son or 
daughter of an employee’s son or daughter.’’. 
Æ 
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