Senate Committee Reviews Healthy Families Act to Mandate Paid Sick Leave for Most U.S. Workers
A senate committee must act next: committee consideration.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
The bill covers any employer with 1 or more employees, meaning virtually every small business would need to provide paid sick leave. This creates new costs for businesses that currently don't offer paid leave, including tracking accrual, maintaining records, and covering shifts when workers are out. Small businesses with thin margins could face particular difficulty absorbing these costs.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep. Rosa DeLauro introduced the Healthy Families Act in February 2026, aiming to guarantee workers up to seven paid sick days per year. The bill allows for one hour of leave per 30 hours worked and covers personal illness, family care, and domestic violence recovery.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, sponsor of the Healthy Families Act, argues that the lack of national paid sick leave is a systemic failure. The bill would mandate seven days of job-protected leave for businesses with 15+ employees, a policy advocates say is essential for public health and economic security.
Lawmakers are making a renewed push for the Healthy Families Act, which would establish a national paid sick leave standard. While the bill has broad public support, it faces significant opposition from business groups concerned about the costs of new federal mandates on small employers.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Healthy Families Act
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.