Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act

Bill: 114-s-786
Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
Introduced: 2015-03-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Adult day care
Advisory bodies
Child care and development
Civil actions and liability
Congressional oversight
Disability assistance
Employee benefits and pensions
Employee leave
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Employment taxes
Executive agency funding and structure
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Railroads
Social Security Administration
Social security and elderly assistance
Transportation employees
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-18
text: 

Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act

 
Establishes the Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration (SSA), to be headed by the Deputy SSA Commissioner.
 
Entitles every individual to a family and medical leave insurance (FMLI) benefit payment for each month beginning on the first day of the first month in which the individual meets the criteria specified below and ending 365 days later (benefit period), not to exceed 60 qualified caregiving days per period. Entitles an individual qualifies to such a benefit payment if such individual:
 
 
is insured for disability insurance benefits under the Social Security Act at the time his or her application is filed;
 
has earned income from employment during the 12 months before filing it;
 
has filed an application for a FMLI benefit in accordance with this bill; and
 
was engaged in qualified caregiving (any activity, except regular employment, for a reason for which the individual would be entitled to leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993), or anticipates being so engaged, during the 90-day period before the application is filed or within 30 days after. 
 
 
Prescribes a formula for determination of an individual's monthly FMLI benefit payment, as well as for the maximum and the minimum monthly benefit amounts. 
 
Requires a FMLI benefit payment to be coordinated with any periodic benefits received from temporary disability insurance or family leave insurance programs under any state law or plan, local government, or an instrumentality of two or more states.
 
Prescribes criteria that makes an individual ineligible for a FMLI benefit payment.
 
Specifies prohibited acts by an employer, and penalties for violations. 
 
Establishes the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund in the Treasury. Requires FMLI benefit payments to be made only from this Fund.
 
Prohibits the use of amounts from the Social Security Trust Fund or appropriated to the SSA to administer Social Security programs for FMLI benefits or administration.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a tax on every individual and employer, all self-employment income, and every railroad employee, employee representative, or railroad employer to finance the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund in the Treasury for FMLI benefits.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-03-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2015-03-18
text: Introduced in Senate