On July 16, Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the More Paid Leave for More Americans Act (S. 5017). The Senate bill closely aligns with the House version introduced in April 2025, but it extends leave eligibility to more workers and omits some restrictions found in the House bill that would limit the grant program’s reach. Most significantly, the Senate bill would allow benefits for any qualifying reason under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) rather than only the birth or adoption of a child.
The bill would establish the Interstate Paid Leave Action Network (I-PLAN), an organization of state leave program administrators that would develop an interstate agreement among states offering paid leave programs. That agreement would create a single policy standard establishing common definitions for terms including “employee eligibility,” “employee coverage,” and “intermittent and reduced schedule leave”; a single administrative standard to facilitate easier compliance with and understanding of paid leave programs across states; and a single process for state programs to handle claims for an individual who has work history across multiple participating states.
The bill would also establish the State Paid Leave Public-Private Partnership Grant Program at the Department of Labor (DOL). States would be eligible to apply for competitive grants of between $1.5 million and $7 million if they have enacted a law establishing an eligible paid leave program. At a minimum, an eligible program must provide at least six weeks of paid leave benefits to eligible employees in a 12-month period for at least one qualifying reason under the FMLA; provide wage replacement equal to at least 50% of weekly earnings and annually establish a weekly maximum benefit amount equal to 150% of the state’s average weekly wage; establish and use a covered partnership with at least one private entity that handles a specific function integral to delivering benefits (such as the benefit application process or the payment of benefit claims); establish premium rates or a financing method to fund the program for employees, employers or both to pay; and set criteria for classifying who qualifies as an employee and an employer under the program. Where a program requires employer participation, it must also permit employers to self-administer benefits, provided those benefits meet or exceed the state program.
In awarding grants, the DOL would prioritize states that did not already have a paid leave program in place, that participate in the I-PLAN, and that demonstrate their program serves low-income populations, among other factors. Grant funds could be used to help with implementation and start-up costs, to establish and fund the covered partnership, to pay out benefits to eligible employees for a qualifying reason, to aid in paid leave program design, and for outreach efforts, among other purposes. The bill authorizes such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2027 through 2029.
Next Steps
The bill was referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. If it advances out of committee, the legislation would need robust bipartisan support to reach the 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster and pass the chamber. The House has not yet acted on its version of the bill, and the two chambers would need to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions before the legislation could be sent to the president for signature. It remains to be seen whether House and Senate leadership will prioritize the bill in the limited legislative days remaining in the 119th Congress.
CUPA-HR will continue to monitor for updates regarding national paid leave policy.