To deem certain individuals as parents of Department of Veterans Affairs employees for purposes of determining entitlement to certain family and medical leave for such employees.
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7948
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-03-25: Subcommittee Hearings Held
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-21T01:26:14Z
AI-Generated Summary
H.R. 7948: Summary
Purpose
This bill aims to expand family and medical leave eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees by treating a spouse's parents (in-laws) as the employee's own parents for specific leave purposes.
Key Provisions
- Deemed Parent Status: A parent of a covered employee's spouse is considered a "parent" of the employee when determining eligibility for leave under 5 U.S.C. § 6382(a)(1)(C) (part of the Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA, which allows unpaid leave for caring for a parent with a serious health condition).
- Covered Employees: Includes all VA employees, especially full-time staff in the Veterans Health Administration appointed under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 74 in positions listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7421(b) (typically clinical and direct patient care roles).
- Definitions: Uses standard FMLA definitions for "employee" and "parent" from 5 U.S.C. § 6381.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Overrides 38 U.S.C. § 7421 (VA personnel flexibility provisions) and any conflicting laws to broaden the FMLA's "parent" definition specifically for VA employees' leave eligibility.
- Expands beyond standard FMLA, which generally limits care leave to an employee's own parents, not in-laws.
Potential Impacts
- VA Employees: Gain access to up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to care for ill in-laws, improving work-life balance.
- VA Agency: May face temporary staffing shortages in critical healthcare roles, potentially requiring workload adjustments or coverage plans.
- Families: Supports caregiving for elderly or ill in-laws without forcing employees to choose between family needs and jobs.
- No direct impact on citizens broadly or international relations.
Main Stakeholders
- VA Employees: Primary beneficiaries, especially in healthcare positions with family caregiving needs.
- VA Department: Must administer expanded leave, affecting operations in Veterans Health Administration.
- Families of VA Employees: In-laws with serious health conditions benefit indirectly through employee support.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Clarifies and expands FMLA application to VA-specific workforce rules, potentially setting precedent for similar overrides in federal agencies; no apparent conflicts with constitutional rights.
- Political: Promotes family-friendly policies for federal workers in veterans' services, aligning with broader caregiving and employee rights debates; referred to House Oversight and Veterans' Affairs Committees for review.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3]
Recent Actions
- 2026-03-25: Subcommittee Hearings Held
- 2026-03-24: Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
- 2026-03-16: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 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.
- 2026-03-16: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 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.
- 2026-03-16: Introduced in House
- 2026-03-16: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- To deem certain individuals as parents of Department of Veterans Affairs employees for purposes of determining entitlement to certain family and medical leave for such employees. — issued 2026-03-16 — PDF (2 pages)