Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
ESP, Paraprofessional, and Education Support Staff Family Leave Act
A Democratic bill with 9 Democratic cosponsors · See all 9 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "ESP, Paraprofessional, and Education Support Staff Family Leave Act," seeks to change eligibility requirements under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. It specifically targets paraprofessionals and education support staff employed by educational agencies or institutions. The legislation proposes a new way to determine if these employees meet the necessary hours of service requirement. Under this proposal, employees would meet the requirement if they worked at least 60 percent of the total monthly hours expected for their specific job duties during the previous school year. Additionally, the bill directs the Secretary to provide methods for calculating leave for these covered educational employees.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +3
Would union members be better off under this?
The bill strengthens labor rights by providing more predictable ways for support staff to qualify for family and medical leave.
- Scored +3
Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise?
The bill expands eligibility for job-protected leave for paraprofessionals and education support staff.
- Scored +2
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill expands job-protected leave access for employees in clerical, custodial, and food service roles which are often low-income positions.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Easier Eligibility for School Staff: Paraprofessionals and education support staff can meet the hours of service requirement by working at least 60 percent of the total monthly hours expected for their job description and duties as assigned for the previous school year (Section 2).
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Clearer Definitions for Support Workers: The bill provides specific definitions for "covered educational employee," which includes paraprofessionals and education support staff members such as those providing clerical, transportation, food, custodial, health, or technical services (Section 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- New Record-Keeping Requirements for Employers: Each employer of a covered educational employee is required to maintain a file with the Secretary that specifies the total monthly hours expected for the employee's job description and duties for each school year (Section 2).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would union members be better off under this? — The bill strengthens labor rights by providing more predictable ways for support staff to qualify for family and medical leave. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill expands job-protected leave access for employees in clerical, custodial, and food service roles which are often low-income positions. Would women be better off under this? — The expansion of FMLA eligibility provides greater job security for workers who may disproportionately utilize family and medical leave. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill increases job security and leave benefits for many educational support professionals.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise? — The bill expands eligibility for job-protected leave for paraprofessionals and education support staff.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill provides more secure leave benefits for educational support staff, which can aid financial stability for low-wage workers.
- 1/12/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/5/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 11/19/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 10/8/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/9/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 5 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Christopher CoonsDemocrat · Delaware
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Andy KimDemocrat · New Jersey
Ben LujánDemocrat · New Mexico
Edward MarkeyDemocrat · Massachusetts