employers to discriminate against employees and ap-
plicants for employment who are of that gender. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to ensure that all working Americans can 
address their own health needs and the health needs 
of their families by requiring employers to provide a 
minimum level of paid sick leave including leave for 
family care; 
(2) to diminish public and private health care 
costs by enabling workers to seek early and routine 
medical care for themselves and their family mem-
bers; 
(3) to accomplish the purposes described in 
paragraphs (1) and (2) in a manner that is feasible 
for employers; and 
(4) consistent with the provision of the 14th 
amendment to the Constitution relating to equal 
protection of the laws, and pursuant to Congress’ 
power to enforce that provision under section 5 of 
that amendment— 
(A) to accomplish the purposes described 
in paragraphs (1) and (2) in a manner that 
minimizes the potential for employment dis-
crimination on the basis of sex by ensuring gen-
erally that leave is available for eligible medical 
reasons on a gender-neutral basis; and 
(B) to promote the goal of equal employ-
ment opportunity for women and men. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CHILD.—The term ‘‘child’’ means a biologi-
cal, foster, or adopted child, a stepchild, a legal 
ward, or a child of a person standing in loco 
parentis, who is— 
(A) under 18 years of age; or 
(B) 18 years of age or older and incapable 
of self-care because of a mental or physical dis-
ability. 
(2) EMPLOYEE.—The term ‘‘employee’’ means 
an individual— 
(A) who is— 
(i)(I) an employee (including an appli-
cant), as defined in section 3(e) of the Fair 
Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 
203(e)), who is not covered under clause 
(v), including such an employee of the Li-
brary of Congress, except that a reference 
in such section to an employer shall be 
considered to be a reference to an employer
described in clauses (i)(I) and (ii) of para-
graph (3)(A); or 
(II) an employee (including an appli-
cant) of the Government Accountability 
Office; 
(ii) a State employee (including an ap-
plicant) described in section 304(a) of the 
Government Employee Rights Act of 1991 
(42 U.S.C. 2000e–16c(a)); 
(iii) a covered employee (including an 
applicant), as defined in section 101 of the 
Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 
(2 U.S.C. 1301); 
(iv) a covered employee (including an 
applicant), as defined in section 411(c) of 
title 3, United States Code; or 
(v) a Federal officer or employee (in-
cluding an applicant) covered under sub-
chapter V of chapter 63 of title 5, United 
States Code; and 
(B) who works an average of at least 20 
hours per week or, in the alternative, at least 
1,000 hours per year. 
(3) EMPLOYER.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘employer’’ 
means a person who is— 
(i)(I) a covered employer, as defined 
in subparagraph (B), who is not covered 
under subclause (V); 
(II) an entity employing a State em-
ployee described in section 304(a) of the 
Government Employee Rights Act of 1991 
(42 U.S.C. 2000e–16c(a)); 
(III) an employing office, as defined 
in section 101 of the Congressional Ac-
countability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1301); 
(IV) an employing office, as defined in 
section 411(c) of title 3, United States 
Code; or 
(V) an employing agency covered 
under subchapter V of chapter 63 of title 
5, United States Code; and 
(ii) is engaged in commerce (including 
government), in the production of goods 
for commerce, or in an enterprise engaged 
in commerce (including government) or in 
the production of goods for commerce. 
(B) COVERED EMPLOYER.—
(i) IN
GENERAL.—In subparagraph 
(A)(i)(I), the term ‘‘covered employer’’— 
(I) means any person engaged in 
commerce or in any industry or activ-
ity affecting commerce who employs 
15 or more employees for each work-
ing day during each of 20 or more 
calendar workweeks in the current or 
preceding calendar year; 
(II) includes— 
(aa) any person who acts, 
directly or indirectly, in the inter-
est of an employer to any of the 
employees of such employer; and 
(bb) any successor in inter-
est of an employer; 
(III) includes any ‘‘public agen-
cy’’, as defined in section 3(x) of the 
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 
(29 U.S.C. 203(x)); and 
(IV) includes the Government 
Accountability Office and the Library 
of Congress. 
(ii) PUBLIC
AGENCY.—For purposes 
of clause (i)(III), a public agency shall be