Regulations implementing the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in the legislative branch were originally approved by Congress in 1996. Twice since then, the Board of Directors of the OCWR has adopted modified FMLA regulations. However, Congress has not yet approved those updated regulations, and therefore the final regulations from 1996 remain in effect.
The first set of modified regulations was adopted and submitted for congressional approval in a Notice of Adoption published in the Congressional Record on June 22, 2016. While those regulations were still pending, in December 2019, Congress passed the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (FEPLA), which provided for paid parental leave (PPL) for federal government workers, including legislative branch employees covered under the Congressional Accountability Act. Accordingly, the OCWR Board revised its FMLA regulations again to implement FEPLA, and published a Notice of Adoption in the Congressional Record on December 7, 2021.
To see the Notice of Adoption as published, please see the Congressional Record on December 7, 2021:
House Edition | Senate Edition
On December 14, 2022, the House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 1516, thereby approving the FMLA regulations for all employees and employing offices of the House. The OCWR Board thereafter issued its regulations on March 1, 2023. These pending regulations will become effective for House employees and House employing offices on April 30, 2023.