ESP, Paraprofessional, and Education Support Staff Family Leave Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 5222
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Labor and Employment
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-09-09: Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-30T08:07:00Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to create tailored eligibility rules for certain school employees, allowing them to qualify for unpaid, job-protected leave for family and medical reasons.
Key Provisions
- Eligibility adjustment: A covered educational employee meets the hours-of-service requirement if they have worked at least 60 percent of the total monthly hours expected for their job description and duties, based on the previous school year.
- Employer filing requirement: Employers must keep records on file with the Secretary specifying the expected monthly hours for each employee’s role.
- Leave calculation: The Secretary must provide methods to calculate leave for these employees, consistent with existing rules.
- Definitions:
- Covered educational employee includes paraprofessionals and education support staff members employed by an educational agency or institution.
- Paraprofessional follows the definition in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
- Education support staff member (also called classified school employee or ESP) covers roles in clerical, administrative, transportation, food service, custodial, health, technical, or skilled trades services.
- Educational agency or institution uses the definition from the General Education Provisions Act.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill adds a new exception to the standard 1,250-hour service requirement under the Family and Medical Leave Act, replacing it with a percentage-based standard tied to expected school-year hours for paraprofessionals and education support staff. It also introduces a new record-keeping obligation and a specific leave-calculation process for these employees.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Requires the Secretary to maintain employee hour files and develop leave-calculation methods; affects the Department of Labor’s oversight role.
- Citizens: Expands access to family and medical leave for eligible school support employees without altering the overall structure of the Family and Medical Leave Act.
- International relations: No provisions address international matters.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Paraprofessionals and education support staff members.
- Educational agencies and institutions (such as public schools and related entities).
- Employers responsible for record-keeping.
- The Secretary responsible for administering the new filing and calculation rules.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill modifies federal labor law by creating an occupation-specific eligibility pathway under the Family and Medical Leave Act. It does not introduce new constitutional questions or alter the underlying authority of the statute.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (72)
Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1], Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5], Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20], Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7], Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17], Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1], Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5], Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44], Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3], Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28], Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1], Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12], Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9], Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8], Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9], Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5], Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [D-WA-3], Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7], Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10], Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2], Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9], Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2], Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5], Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1], Rep. Sorensen, Eric [D-IL-17], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7], Rep. Hoyle, Val T. [D-OR-4], Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6], Rep. Sherrill, Mikie [D-NJ-11], Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3], Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10], Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7], Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2], Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6], Rep. Randall, Emily [D-WA-6], Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8], Rep. McGarvey, Morgan [D-KY-3], Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1], Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3], Rep. Johnson, Julie [D-TX-32] and 22 more
Recent Actions
- 2025-09-09: Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-09-09: Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-09-09: Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-09-09: Introduced in House
- 2025-09-09: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- ESP, Paraprofessional, and Education Support Staff Family Leave Act — issued 2025-09-09 — PDF (4 pages)