Hi Alison, in response to your post, I have questions and it’s hard to find any answers. For example, I see this:
"Summary: S.1714 — 118th Congress (2023-2024) (https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/1714/all-info)
A summary is in progress."
and I do not know when said summary is going to be made available. At this point, without further information, I don’t know what we are discussing. I want to see the bill passed into law. Any further information would be helpful.
Jeff
Took me a minute to find it from your link. Underneath the Overview section it says “There is 1 version of this bill” and has a link to the text. Pretty sure this is the same bill introduced in 2021, they’ve apparently presented it a couple more times and it just gets sent to committees.
Here is the link:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3481
I am going to do some more accounting of other countries PFL system. What seems to be the case is it is intergraded into a healthcare sometimes. This makes sense because there are mental issues that are associated with childbirth and support seems wise.
One way to think of this is an extension to a workers compensation benefit.
One of our inherent problems is a scam culture we have been steeped in since inception. Things that would work due to common sense would likely work here however politically hot due to fact scamming government programs seems status quo. It would be wise to keep these programs as clean as possible. In other words design the program with as little human digression possible. Also redundancy and independent oversight.
For a government to have anything real in the eyes of public they must audit fund / submit to 3rd party independent audits.
I have been reading the bill, so far this summary Alison linked above seems accurate:
Under the FAMILY Act, workers would be able to take paid leave in order to:
This range of needs is comprehensive, providing essential benefits for workers across the lifecycle. The first four purposes are currently included in unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA),7 as well as under most state paid leave programs,8 providing a proven track record. As past Center for American Progress research has highlighted, comprehensive purposes are essential to meeting the needs of all workers, including women,9 parents,10 veterans and military families,11and people with disabilities.12
The final purpose, safe leave—included in the FAMILY Act for the first time this Congress13—is a critical tool for combating gender-based violence by providing survivors and their families with the tools they need to seek safety.14 Safe leave has been included in some state paid family and medical leave laws,15 as well as in nearly all state and local paid sick time laws.16
Very helpful info - thanks everyone.
@isp did your question get answered by others?
Everyone @here - do you feel you have enough info to finish the template? This is what would be presented to Cenk and others, along with the other 2 pieces of legislation, to consider for our community to rally around.
I have spent some time looking through the option. It would appear that countries seem pass this due to the broadly held belief that children need the best start to life possible. Also if you improve society for parents they will raise better children.
These arguments seem to be less resonate here do to our fixation on serving year over year growth in x,y,z industry. I think many falsely think if we just get more money we could be insulated from the rest of the communities problems.
So I asked GPT:
What cultural element make paid family leave common place in nearly all countries besides the United States?
Paid family leave is more commonly widespread in many countries outside the United States due to cultural, social, and political factors. Several cultural elements contribute to the prevalence of paid family leave in these countries:
Social Solidarity and Support for Families:
Many countries prioritize social welfare and have a cultural emphasis on supporting families. The belief in taking care of one’s family is deeply ingrained in societies, leading to policies that provide financial support during crucial family moments like childbirth or serious illnesses.
Work-Life Balance Values:
Cultures in many countries prioritize a healthy work-life balance. There is a recognition that employees have personal lives, including family responsibilities, and policies like paid family leave are seen as a way to facilitate this balance.
Focus on Gender Equality:
Cultures that value gender equality tend to have more inclusive family leave policies. Providing paid leave for both parents helps to distribute caregiving responsibilities more equally, allowing mothers and fathers to share the burden of child-rearing and balancing career aspirations.
Government Involvement and Social Policies:
Countries with a strong tradition of government involvement in social policies are more likely to implement paid family leave. Governments in these countries often view such policies as investments in the well-being of their citizens, contributing to long-term societal health and stability.
Labor Movements and Workers’ Rights:
In some countries, strong labor movements and advocacy for workers’ rights have played a crucial role in the establishment of policies like paid family leave. Workers’ unions and collective bargaining agreements have contributed to securing these benefits for employees.
Public Health Priorities:
Countries that prioritize public health and child well-being are more likely to implement paid family leave policies. Recognizing the importance of early childhood development and the health of mothers, these countries view family leave as a means to support the overall health of society.
Cultural Norms Surrounding Parenthood:
Societal norms regarding parenthood and family life also play a role. Cultures that value the importance of family bonding, parent-child relationships, and early childhood care are more likely to implement policies that support parents during critical stages of family life.
International Standards and Peer Influence:
Countries may be influenced by international standards and peer comparisons. Observing other nations successfully implement paid family leave can encourage policy changes, as countries seek to align themselves with global norms and best practices.
In contrast, the United States has historically had a more individualistic approach to social policies, with a focus on limited government intervention. Cultural factors, political ideologies, and historical perspectives on work and family life have contributed to the absence of a federal paid family leave policy in the United States.
I think your original template is great @alison_hartson
LEGISLATION: HR3481 - FAMILY act
WHAT: Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act
WHERE: Introduced in US House of Representatives 5/18/2023 with 94 cosponsors, immediately sent to Ways and Means Committee.
WHY: The USA doesn’t offer material support for maternity leave, medical emergency leave, response and recovery from sexual or domestic abuse, needs of deploying troops’ families, or for any bonding time of new family members.
So the WHO, WHEN and HOW… I don’t know exactly what you’re looking for prior to presenting this.
WHO: Every individual who files an application in the time period allowed (per qualified caregiving) and isn’t disqualified by having greater benefits through disability or state/local benefits, or by having violated the social security act.
WHEN: Applications may be filed beginning 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act.
HOW: Establishes within the Social Security Administration the new Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave. Deputy Commissioner and team are responsible for reviewing applications and claims. Revenue is collected similarly to social security (.2%) into a trust fund that pays approved claims.
This leaves out a lot but it’s the basics. Far from perfect, but definitely a great place to start providing help that Americans deserve.
Thanks! It looks like this Act was concurrently introduced in the House and Senate, so I included both below - I appreciate you finding that. I re-worded the sections to hopefully make better sense. The info you provided about it is definitely useful, so let’s hang onto that, but I don’t think we need that detail just yet. In fact, I think what we have below is good.
Will ya’ll @here take a look at this please? This is what I will share with Cenk and team as a proposal from the community for Operation Hope’s first campaign. If you like this, then let’s take this and do it for the next piece of legislation: Campaign Finance Reform.
TOPIC: Paid Family Leave
LEGISLATION: HR3481 & S1714 - FAMILY Act - Introduced in May 2023, this is the latest Paid Family Leave Act legislation. It has been introduced several times, with amendments each time.
WHERE: Federal Level
WHY SHOULD WE FOCUS ON THIS CAMPAIGN: Not only does this topic have cross-partisan support of 84%, but due to the fact that the U.S. is one of the worst countries in the world on this issue, there is a ton of evidence to show people why the U.S. needs to catch up with the rest of the world. That said, only Democrats are signed on to this bill in support. Additionally, more research needs to be done to compare this legislation to others, including what is the most feasible to get passed + how it compares to what really does work in other countries.
I’m on board with this! Let’s get caught trying!
Sounds like everyone is good with this. Thanks all @here!
Would anyone like to give the next draft a try, either for campaign finance reform or immigration reform?
Huzzah for teamwork 
I feel like both of these topics are pretty complex. I think we should do immigration and I also think we should create some modularity to it if possible.
For instance Dean and Cenk brought up a Marshall plan for Latin America.
There was some difference in sending the judges to the boarder or creating a campus abroad.
We could maybe model these aspects and poll them in some way?
The modular aspect might be a good idea for approaching each of these. It would allow more flexibility and also contingencies for dealing with unforeseen events that change how the votes might fall, or how the pressure needs to be applied.
Immigration is what I’d vote for as well. It’s a firestorm that has to be approached before senseless deaths and inhuman conduct descends into slaughter. Campaign finance is a longer game and bigger fight with possibly even greater consequences, but we can save lives right now if changes are enacted.
My 2 cents, thanks everyone
I found this on American Progress website:
“One of the largest limitations of the FMLA is that its restrictive eligibility requirements exclude almost half of all U.S. employees,10 including nearly two-thirds of all low-wage workers.11 To address these problems, Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) and Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced the Job Protection Act (JPA) in 2023.12 This bill would reform the FMLA’s three eligibility requirements, expanding coverage to nearly all employees.”
I would like to suggest that we focus on this bill, the Job Protection Act.
I would also like to suggest that we use our socials to bring awareness to this act and any similar acts that are coming from the state you reside in.
If there isn’t a subsidies for the bulk of the employeers who are small businesses it is likely DOA.
