I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2996 
To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to permit leave 
for an employee to meet their needs related to being a victim of dating 
violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, or stalking, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 28, 2023 
Mrs. BICE (for herself and Ms. STEVENS) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in 
addition to the Committees on Oversight and Accountability, and House 
Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak-
er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju-
risdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to 
permit leave for an employee to meet their needs related 
to being a victim of dating violence, domestic violence, 
sexual assault, sex trafficking, or stalking, and for other 
purposes. 
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 ‘‘Safe Leave for Victims 
of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ENTITLEMENT RELATING TO BEING A VICTIM OF 
DATING VIOLENCE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, 
SEXUAL ASSAULT, SEX TRAFFICKING, OR 
STALKING. 
(a) LEAVE REQUIREMENT.—Section 102(a)(1) of the 
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 
2612(a)(1)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as sub-
paragraph (G); and 
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(F) In order to meet the needs of the em-
ployee related to the employee, or a family 
member of the employee, being a victim of dat-
ing violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, 
sex trafficking, or stalking to— 
‘‘(i) seek medical attention or treat-
ment for physical or psychological injuries 
related to domestic violence, dating vio-
lence, sexual assault, stalking, or traf-
ficking; 
‘‘(ii) seek mental health or counseling 
services for injuries and trauma related to 
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual 
assault, stalking, or trafficking; 
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‘‘(iii) seek services from a victim serv-
ices organization, including, but not limited 
to, a domestic violence program, a sexual 
assault victim service provider, a stalking 
victim service provider; 
‘‘(iv) seek civil or criminal legal serv-
ices to prepare for and participate in legal 
proceedings related to domestic violence, 
sexual assault, dating violence stalking, or 
trafficking; 
‘‘(v) secure safe housing, including 
searching for new housing, relocating, and 
installing additional safety measures; or 
‘‘(vi) in a case in which a family mem-
ber of the employee has been a victim of 
dating violence, domestic violence, sexual 
assault, sex trafficking, or stalking, to as-
sist the family member in any of the activi-
ties described in clauses (i) through (v).’’. 
(b) SCHEDULE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—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: 
‘‘Subject to paragraph (2), subsection (e)(2), and 
subsection (b)(5) of section 103, leave under sub-
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paragraph (F) of subsection (a)(1) may be taken 
intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule.’’ 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 102 
of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2612) is amended— 
(A) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ‘‘or 
(D)’’ after ‘‘subparagraph (C)’’ and inserting ‘‘, 
(D), or (F)’’; and 
(B) in subsection (e)(2), by striking ‘‘or 
(D)’’ after ‘‘subparagraph (C)’’ and inserting ‘‘, 
(D), or (F)’’. 
(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: 
‘‘(C) MEET NEEDS RELATING TO BEING A 
VICTIM OF DATING VIOLENCE, DOMESTIC VIO-
LENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, SEX TRAFFICKING, 
OR STALKING.—An eligible employee may elect, 
or an employer may require the employee, to 
substitute any of the accrued paid vacation 
leave, personal leave, or medical or sick leave of 
the employee for leave provided under subpara-
graph (F) of subsection (a)(1) for any part of 
the 12-week period of such leave under such 
subsection, except that nothing in this title shall 
require an employer to provide paid sick leave 
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or paid medical leave in any situation in which 
such employer would not normally provide any 
such paid leave.’’. 
(d) CERTIFICATION.—Section 103 of such Act (29 
U.S.C. 2613) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(g) CERTIFICATION RELATING TO BEING A VICTIM 
OF DATING VIOLENCE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL 
ASSAULT, SEX TRAFFICKING, OR STALKING.— 
‘‘(1) Subject to paragraph (2), an employer 
may require that a request for leave under section 
102(a)(1)(F) be supported by a certification issued 
at such time and in such manner as the Secretary 
may by regulation prescribe. 
‘‘(2) In the case of an employee requesting 
leave under section 102(a)(1)(F) who has not yet re-
ceived a certification as described under paragraph 
(1), such employer shall accept a sworn statement 
on a form prescribed by the Secretary that such em-
ployee has requested such certification.’’. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—Section 101 of such Act (29 
U.S.C. 2611) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new paragraphs: 
‘‘(20) DATING VIOLENCE.—The term ‘dating vi-
olence’ means violence committed by a person— 
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‘‘(A) who is or has been in a social rela-
tionship of a romantic or intimate nature with 
the employee; and 
‘‘(B) where the existence of such a rela-
tionship shall be determined based on a consid-
eration of the following factors: 
‘‘(i) The length of the relationship. 
‘‘(ii) The type of relationship. 
‘‘(iii) The frequency of interaction be-
tween the persons involved in the relation-
ship. 
‘‘(21) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.—The term ‘domes-
tic violence’ includes felony or misdemeanor crimes 
committed by a current or former spouse or intimate 
partner of the employee under the family or domes-
tic violence laws of the jurisdiction receiving grant 
funding and, in the case of victim services, includes 
the use or attempted use of physical abuse or sexual 
abuse, or a pattern of any other coercive behavior 
committed, enabled, or solicited to gain or maintain 
power and control over an employee, including 
verbal, psychological, economic, or technological 
abuse that may or may not constitute criminal be-
havior, by a person who— 
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‘‘(A) is a current or former spouse or inti-
mate partner of the employee, or person simi-
larly situated to a spouse of the employee; 
‘‘(B) is cohabitating, or has cohabitated, 
with the employee as a spouse or intimate part-
ner; 
‘‘(C) shares a child in common with the 
employee; or 
‘‘(D) commits acts against a youth or em-
ployee who is protected from those acts under 
the family or domestic violence laws of the ju-
risdiction. 
‘‘(22) FAMILY
MEMBER.—The term ‘family 
member’ means a spouse, son, daughter, parent, or 
next of kin. 
‘‘(23) SEX TRAFFICKING.—The term ‘sex traf-
ficking’ means any conduct proscribed by section 
1591 of title 18, whether or not the conduct occurs 
in interstate or foreign commerce or within the spe-
cial maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the 
United States. 
‘‘(24) SEXUAL ASSAULT.—The term ‘sexual as-
sault’ means any nonconsensual sexual act pro-
scribed by Federal, Tribal, or State law, including 
when the employee lacks capacity to consent. 
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‘‘(25) STALKING.—The term ‘stalking’ means 
engaging in a course of conduct directed at a spe-
cific person that would cause a reasonable person 
to— 
‘‘(A) fear for his or her safety or the safety 
of others; or 
‘‘(B) suffer substantial emotional dis-
tress.’’. 
(f) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.—Title I of the Family 
and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2611 et seq.) 
is amended— 
(1) in section 102(c), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(a)(1)(F)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (a)(1)(G)’’; 
and 
(2) in section 110— 
(A) by striking ‘‘section 102(a)(1)(F)’’ 
each place it appears and inserting ‘‘section 
102(a)(1)(G)’’; and 
(B) in subsection (a)(1)(A), by redesig-
nating the second clause (ii) as clause (iii). 
Æ 
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