I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 234
To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to allow employees
to take, as additional leave, parental involvement leave to participate
in or attend their children’s educational and extracurricular activities
and to clarify that leave may be taken for routine medical needs and
to assist elderly relatives, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 7, 1997
Mrs. MALONEY of New York (for herself, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr.
RUSH, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Ms. BROWN
of Florida, Ms.
LOFGREN, Ms. PELOSI, and Mr. ACKERMAN) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the
Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Government Reform
and Oversight, and House Oversight, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined 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 to
allow employees to take, as additional leave, parental
involvement leave to participate in or attend their chil-
dren’s educational and extracurricular activities and to
clarify that leave may be taken for routine medical needs
and to assist elderly relatives, 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; REFERENCE.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act’’.
(b) REFERENCE.—Whenever in sections 2, 3, and 5
an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an
amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision,
the reference shall be considered to be made to a section
or other provision of the Family and Medical Leave Act
of 1993.
SEC. 2. ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE.
Section 101(2)(B)(ii) (29 U.S.C. 2611(2)(B)(ii)) is
amended by striking ‘‘50’’ each place it occurs and insert-
ing ‘‘25’’.
SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL LEAVE FOR PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT.
(a) LEAVE
REQUIREMENT.—Section 102(a) (29
U.S.C. 2612(a)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(3) ENTITLEMENT TO ADDITIONAL LEAVE FOR
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT.—
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to section
103(f), in addition to leave available under
paragraph (1), an eligible employee shall be en-
titled to a total of 4 hours of leave during any
30-day period, and a total of 24 hours of leave
during any 12-month period to participate in or
attend an activity that—
‘‘(i) is sponsored by a school or com-
munity organization; and
‘‘(ii) relates to a program of the
school or organization that is attended by
a son or daughter of the employee, includ-
ing a foster child of the employee.
‘‘(B) DEFINITIONS.—As used in subpara-
graph (A):
‘‘(i) 
SCHOOL.—The 
term 
‘school’
means an elementary school or secondary
school (as such terms are defined in sec-
tion 14101 of the Elementary and Second-
ary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
8801)), a Head Start program assisted
under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831
et seq.), and a child care facility licensed
under State law.’’.
‘‘(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) (29 U.S.C.
2612(b)(1)) is amended by inserting after the second sen-
tence the following: ‘‘Leave under subsection (a)(3)(A)
may be taken intermittently or on a reduced leave sched-
ule.’’.
(c) 
SUBSTITUTION
OF
PAID
LEAVE.—Section
102(d)(2)(A) (29 U.S.C. 2612(d)(2)(A)) is amended by
inserting before the period the following: ‘‘, or for leave
provided under subsection (a)(3)(A) for any part of the
24-hour period of such leave under such subsection’’.
(d) 
NOTICE.—Section 
102(e)(1) 
(29 
U.S.C.
2612(e)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the follow-
ing: ‘‘In any case in which an employee requests leave
under subsection (a)(3)(A), the employee shall provide the
employer with not less than 7 days’ notice, before the date
the leave is to begin, of the employee’s intention to take
leave under such subsection.’’.
(e) CERTIFICATION.—Section 103 (29 U.S.C. 2613)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(f) CERTIFICATION FOR PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
LEAVE.—An employer may require that a request for
leave under section 102(a)(3)(A) be supported by a certifi-
cation issued at such time and in such manner as the Sec-
retary may by regulation prescribe.’’.
SEC. 4. PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT LEAVE FOR CIVIL SERV-
ANTS.
(a) LEAVE REQUIREMENT.—Section 6382(a) of title
5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end
the following:
‘‘(3)(A) Subject to section 6383(f), in addition to
leave available under paragraph (1), an employee shall be
entitled to a total of 4 hours of leave during any 30-day
period, and a total of 24 hours of leave during any 12-
month period to participate in or attend an activity that—
‘‘(i) is sponsored by a school or community or-
ganization; and
‘‘(ii) relates to a program of the school or orga-
nization that is attended by a son or daughter of the
employee, including a foster child of the employee.
‘‘(B) As used in this paragraph:
‘‘(i) The term ‘school’ means an elementary
school or secondary school (as such terms are de-
fined in section 14101 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801)), a
Head Start program assisted under the Head Start
Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), and a child care facil-
ity licensed under State law.’’.
‘‘(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 by inserting after the second sentence the follow-
ing: ‘‘Leave under subsection (a)(3)(A) may be taken
intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule.’’.
(c) 
SUBSTITUTION
OF
PAID
LEAVE.—Section
6382(d) of such title is amended by inserting before
‘‘, except’’ the following: ‘‘, or for leave provided under
subsection (a)(3)(A) any of the employee’s accrued or ac-
cumulated annual leave under subchapter I for any part
of the 24-hour period of such leave under such sub-
section’’.
(d) NOTICE.—Section 6382(e)(1) of such title is
amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘In any case
in which an employee requests leave under subsection
(a)(3)(A), the employee shall provide the employing agen-
cy with not less than 7 days’ notice, before the date the
leave is to begin, of the employee’s intention to take leave
under such subsection.’’.
(e) CERTIFICATION.—Section 6383 of such title is
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(f) An employing agency may require that a request
for leave under section 6382(a)(3)(A) be supported by a
certification issued at such time and in such manner as
the Office of Personnel Management may by regulation
prescribe.’’.
SEC. 5. CLARIFICATION OF LEAVE ENTITLEMENT.
Section 102(a)(1) (29 U.S.C. 2612(a)(1)) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(E) To meet routine family medical
needs, including transportation of children for
medical and dental appointments for annual
checkups and vaccinations.
‘‘(F) To meet the routine medical care
needs of elderly individuals who are related to
the eligible employee, including visits to nursing
homes and group homes.’’.
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