Time Off to Vote Act
Rep. Williams Introduces Time Off to Vote Act to Require 2 Hours of Paid Leave for Federal Elections
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and is being reviewed by the House Committee on Education and Workforce. It was recently introduced and is considered active as it waits for further committee action. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
Passage Likelihood
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill would require employers with 25 or more workers to give employees at least two consecutive hours of paid leave on federal election days. Workers could use this time to vote in person, return a mail-in ballot, or handle other voting-related tasks.
From policy text
“an employer shall provide to the employee a minimum of 2 consecutive hours of paid leave on a day of any Federal election, while polls or sites that facilitate voting-related activity are open, in order to vote, return in person a ballot that was received in the mail, or perform other voting-related activity.”
View in full text - Employers get to decide exactly when the two hours of paid leave are taken, and they can even require workers to use the time during early voting instead of on Election Day itself. The paid leave cannot overlap with lunch or other regular break time.
From policy text
“the employer of such employee may specify the hours during which the employee may take such leave, including by requiring that the employee take the leave during a period designated for early voting instead of on the day of the election, as applicable under State law. Any lunch break or other break period may not be included in the 2-hour period designated for leave”
View in full text - Businesses that refuse to grant time off or punish workers for requesting it could face penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, with the Department of Labor handling investigations and enforcement.
From policy text
“Any employer that violates this Act may be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 per violation.”
View in full text - Workers are protected from retaliation for exercising their rights under this law. Taking the leave cannot result in lost benefits, and employers cannot fire or discriminate against anyone for requesting time off or participating in related investigations.
From policy text
“It shall be unlawful for any employer to discharge or in any other manner discriminate against any individual for-- (A) opposing any practice made unlawful by this section; (B) filing any charge, or instituting or causing to be instituted any proceeding, under or related to this section”
View in full text - State and local laws that already provide more generous voting leave would not be overridden. This bill sets a federal minimum floor, meaning it only adds protections where none currently exist or where existing protections are weaker.
From policy text
“Nothing in this Act shall be construed to supersede any provision of any State or local law that requires an employer to provide leave to an employee, for the purpose of voting in any Federal, State, or municipal election, in an amount greater than that required under this Act”
View in full text
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Related News
4 articlesHirono Leads Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Give Workers Time Off to Vote
Senator Mazie Hirono and 17 colleagues introduced the Time Off to Vote Act, requiring employers to provide at least two hours of paid leave for federal elections. The time can be used for in-person voting, returning mail ballots, or other voting activities without affecting employee benefits.
Democrats Introduce Bill Guaranteeing Workers Paid Time Off to Vote
The Time Off to Vote Act would require employers to give employees at least two hours off to vote on election day or during early voting. The bill aims to standardize paid voting leave across the country, ensuring workers don't have to choose between a paycheck and participating in democracy.
House Democrats Introduce Bill Requiring Paid Time off for Voting
Democratic lawmakers introduced H.R. 7489, the Time Off to Vote Act, to mandate two hours of paid leave for federal elections. The legislation seeks to create a federal standard to replace the current patchwork of state laws, many of which only require unpaid time off or offer no protections.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Time Off to Vote Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
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