[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3089 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3089
To direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a grant program to award
grants to States to carry out a paid family leave program, to establish
the Interstate Paid Leave Action Network, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 30, 2025
Mrs. Bice (for herself, Ms. Houlahan, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, Ms. Stevens,
Ms. Letlow, Mr. Beyer, Mr. Feenstra, and Mr. Gomez) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Armed
Services, Oversight and Government Reform, House Administration, and
the Judiciary, 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
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a grant program to award
grants to States to carry out a paid family leave program, to establish
the Interstate Paid Leave Action Network, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``More Paid Leave for More Americans
Act''.
TITLE I--STATE PAID FAMILY LEAVE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STATE PAID FAMILY LEAVE PUBLIC-PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIP GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Labor shall establish and
administer a competitive grant program to provide grants to States that
have enacted a law establishing a paid family leave program as
described in subsection (d).
(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
section, a State shall--
(1) have enacted a State law establishing a paid family
leave program as described in subsection (d); and
(2) participate in the Interstate Paid Leave Action Network
established under section 202(a).
(c) Application.--
(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, a State shall submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require, including how the
funds will be used, the working population of the State, the
percentage of the State's working population that is able to
access a paid family leave benefit, and the source of such
benefit.
(2) Priority.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary shall prioritize
States--
(i) that indicate in the application
submitted under paragraph (1) that the covered
partnership will use software that is a
commercially available off-the-shelf item (as
defined in part 2.101 of the Federal
Acquisition Regulation) to administer benefits;
(ii) that have, relative to other States
that have submitted an application in a given
year, a lower percentage of the working
population of the State that have access to a
paid family leave benefit at the time of the
submission of the application;
(iii) that demonstrate in the application
that the State has a plan to implement a
financing mechanism that does not have long-
term reliance on Federal funding; and
(iv) that demonstrate in the application
how the State paid family leave program serves
low-income populations.
(B) Consideration prohibition.--The Secretary may
not consider whether a State provides benefits in
excess of those required under subsection (d) when
deciding which States shall receive a grant under this
title.
(d) Paid Family Leave Program Requirements.--
(1) Program requirements.--A paid family leave program
described in this subsection shall, at a minimum--
(A) provide, through the covered partnership, a
paid family leave benefit to eligible employees because
of--
(i) the birth of a son or daughter of an
eligible employee and in order to care for such
son or daughter; and
(ii) the placement of a son or daughter
with the eligible employee for adoption;
(B) provide 6 weeks of paid family leave benefits;
(C) annually establish a weekly maximum benefit
amount that is equal to 150 percent of the State's
average weekly wage (based on the most recent calendar
year for which data is available from the Quarterly
Census of Employment and Wages program of the BLS);
(D) only permit an eligible employee to be entitled
to a leave benefit under clauses (i) and (ii) of
subparagraph (A) for a birth or placement of a son or
daughter during the 12-month period beginning on the
date of such birth or placement;
(E) require the establishment and use of a covered
partnership; and
(F) establish premium rates or a financing method
to fund the paid family leave program for employees,
employers, or both to pay.
(2) Paid family leave benefit.--For the purposes of this
title, a paid family leave benefit provided to an eligible
employee shall, at a minimum, include weekly compensation in an
amount (not to exceed the amount described in paragraph (1)(C))
equal to the product of the average weekly earnings of the
eligible employee and--
(A) in the case of an eligible employee whose
earnings for the 4 most recently completed calendar
quarters that immediately precede the paid family leave
benefit request are less than or equal to the poverty
line (as defined in section 673 of the Community
Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902)) applicable
to a 4-person household, 67 percent;
(B) in the case of an eligible employee whose
earnings for such calendar quarters are more than such
poverty line, but less than the amount that is double
such poverty line, a percentage equal to--
(i) 67 percent, minus
(ii) the product of--
(I) 17 percent; and
(II) the percentage by which the
employee's earnings exceed such poverty
line; or
(C) in the case of any other eligible employee, 50
percent.
(3) Recalculation of benefit amount.--The weekly
compensation calculated under paragraph (2) for an eligible
employee shall be recalculated each time such employee applies
for a paid family leave benefit.
(4) Employees with multiple employers.--In the case that an
employee is employed by multiple employers, such an employee is
entitled to receive a benefit from each employer, but the
employee may not receive a total combined weekly benefit in
excess of the maximum benefit amount established by a State
pursuant to paragraph (1)(C).
(5) Employer self-administration flexibility.--In the case
that a State's paid family leave program includes a requirement
for employer participation, States shall be deemed to be in
compliance with this section only if they allow employers to
self-administer paid family leave benefits to eligible
employees, provided such benefits meet or exceed the paid
family leave program established by the State that meets the
requirements of this subsection.
(6) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection shall
be construed to limit the ability of a State to provide
additional paid family leave benefits (including benefits for
reasons described in section 102(a)(1) of the Family and
Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2612(a)(1))) in excess of
the benefits required to be provided under this subsection.
(e) Use of Funds.--Grants awarded under this section may be used by
States for the following purposes:
(1) Start up costs for the implementation of the paid
family leave program.
(2) To pay out benefits to eligible employees, but only for
the reasons described in subsection (d)(1)(A).
(3) To fund the covered partnership.
(4) Paid family leave program design.
(5) Purchasing and maintaining any necessary software.
(6) Establishing a covered partnership.
(7) Obtaining technical assistance for the State or the
covered partnership to carry out a paid family leave program.
(8) Outreach to employers, payroll providers, relevant
professional or trade associations, and the general public to
increase awareness of the State's paid family leave program and
to convey relevant information such as program eligibility,
funding requirements, benefit information, the application
process, and any other information the State deems relevant.
(9) Other activities to disseminate information about, and
otherwise support, the accessibility of the State's paid family
leave program, including the operation and maintenance of a
program website, running a call center, and sending marketing
materials on the State's covered partnership to the groups
described in paragraph (8).
(10) Research to inform the establishment and operation of
the State's paid family leave program, including program
evaluations, and the dissemination of such research to the
public.
(11) To evaluate existing programs and models.
(12) To reduce administrative burdens on employers in the
State.
(f) Grant Amounts.--
(1) In general.--In determining the amount of a grant to be
provided to a State, the Secretary shall consider--
(A) the size of the working population of the State
relative to the size of the working population of the
other States that are receiving a grant;
(B) the birth rate of the State relative to the
other such States;
(C) the share of low-income individuals in the
State; and
(D) the demonstrated need of a State in the grant
application.
(2) Limits.--A grant provided under this section may not be
less than $1,500,000 and not more than $7,000,000.
SEC. 102. OVERSIGHT.
(a) Report.--Not later than 1 year after a State receives a grant
under this section, and on an annual basis thereafter, the State shall
submit to the Secretary, and make publicly available, a report on--
(1) how the State has used the grant funds; and
(2) the number of individuals in the State that have used
paid family leave benefits as a result of the grant program
described in section 101.
(b) Annual Report.--The Secretary shall, on an annual basis
beginning on the date that is 1 year after the date the Secretary
receives the first report under subsection (a), submit a report to the
appropriate committees on the progress of States establishing paid
family leave programs, the modification of existing paid family leave
programs, and any changes in the levels of access workers have to paid
family leave benefits in each State that receives a grant under section
101.
(c) Audit Required.--Not later than 1 year after a State receives a
grant under section 101, and on an annual basis thereafter, the
Inspector General of the Department of Labor shall conduct audits on
States that received such a grant to determine whether such States--
(1) are using the grant funds in compliance with the
requirements described in section 101(e); and
(2) engaging in any waste, fraud, or abuse.
(d) Appropriate Committees Defined.--In this section, the term
``appropriate committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Education and Workforce, the Ways and
Means Committee, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions, the Committee on Finance, and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate.
SEC. 103. DEFINITIONS.
In this title:
(1) Average weekly earnings.--The term ``weekly earnings'',
with respect to an individual, means the quotient obtained by
dividing--
(A) the earnings of the individual, by
(B) 52.
(2) Covered partnership.--The term ``covered
partnership''--
(A) means a partnership between a State and at
least one private entity (such as an insurance company
or other private entity handling specific functions of
the paid leave program, such as the benefit application
process), that provides a paid family leave benefit to
eligible employees pursuant to the paid family leave
program established by the State that meets the
requirements of section 101(d); and
(B) includes a State that allows employers to self-
administer paid family leave benefits, as described in
section 101(d)(5).
(3) Earnings.--The term ``earnings'', with respect to an
individual, means all compensation for employment that is
considered under the applicable State unemployment compensation
law for the purpose of calculating the amount of unemployment
compensation for the individual.
(4) Eligible employee.--
(A) In general.--The term ``eligible employee''
means an employee who has been employed--
(i) for at least 12 months by the employer
with respect to whom leave is requested for the
birth or placement of a son or daughter; and
(ii) for at least 1,250 hours of service
with such employer during the previous 12-month
period.
(B) Determination.--For purposes of determining
whether an employee meets the hours of service
requirement specified in subparagraph (A)(ii), the
legal standards established under section 7 of the Fair
Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 207) shall
apply.
(5) Employer.--The term ``employer'' has the meaning given
the term in section 101(4)(A)(i) and (ii) of the Family and
Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2611(4)(A)(i)-(ii)).
(6) FLSA terms.--The terms ``employ'' and ``employee'' have
the meanings given the terms in section 3 of the Fair Labor
Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 203).
(7) State.--The term ``State'' includes any State of the
United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the
Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands.
(8) Son or daughter.--The term ``son or daughter'' has the
meaning given the term in section 101 of the Family and Medical
Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2611).
SEC. 104. RESCISSION AND APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS.
(a) Tariff Act Enforcement Actions.--Section 11334 of the James M.
Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (16
U.S.C. 1885a) is amended by striking ``$20,000,000'' and inserting
``$10,000,000''.
(b) Department of Defense Golf Courses; Limitation on Use of
Appropriated Funds.--Section 2491a of title 10, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) by striking ``(a) Limitation.--Except as provided in
subsection (b), funds'' and inserting ``Funds''; and
(2) by striking subsection (b).
(c) Contract Modification.--
(1) Release.--The head of each executive agency that, as of
the day before the date of enactment of this Act, has entered
into a contract or purchase order under Procurement Instrument
Identifier GS03F047CA shall take such steps as may be necessary
to terminate any such order or contract and release the
unexpended balances of any funds obligated to carry out any
such order or contract.
(2) Rescission.--Any balance released from obligation
pursuant to the termination of a contract or order pursuant to
paragraph (1) shall be permanently rescinded as of the date of
the termination of the applicable contract or order.
(3) Executive agency defined.--In this subsection, the term
``executive agency'' has the meaning given the term in section
133 of title 41, United States Code.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this title the following amounts:
(1) $39,787,500 for fiscal year 2026.
(2) $79,575,000 for fiscal year 2027.
(3) $145,887,500 for fiscal year 2028.
TITLE II--I-PLAN
SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS.
In this title:
(1) BLS.--The term ``BLS'' means the Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
(2) Employer-provided paid family and medical leave plan.--
The terms ``employer-provided paid family and medical leave
plan'' and ``employer plan'' mean a plan that--
(A) is provided by an employer to the employees of
such employer (whether directly, under a contract with
an insurer, or provided through a multiemployer plan);
(B) is an option for an employer within the
structure of a State paid family and medical leave
program in such State; and
(C) meets or exceeds the requirements of the State
paid family and medical leave program of the State in
which such employee is employed.
(3) I-PLAN.--The term ``I-PLAN'' means the Interstate Paid
Leave Action Network established in section 202(a).
(4) I-PLAN agreement.--The term ``I-PLAN Agreement'' means
the interstate agreement produced pursuant to section 202(b).
(5) National intermediary.--The term ``national
intermediary'' means a national nongovernmental workforce
organization that has extensive experience partnering with the
Department of Labor to operate interstate technological systems
and the electronic transmission of information and data for
State workforce agencies and employers.
(6) Paid leave.--The term ``paid leave'' means an increment
of compensated leave that is provided, in the case of a State
program, by such State or, in the case of an employer plan, by
such employer for use during a period in which such individual
is not working due to a qualifying reason.
(7) Qualifying reason.--The term ``qualifying reason''
means, in relation to an individual, a reason described in
subparagraphs (A) through (D) of section 102(a)(1) of the
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2612(a)(1))
(applied for purposes of this paragraph as if the individual
involved were the employee referred to in such section).
(8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Labor.
(9) State focal.--The term ``State focal'' means, with
respect to a State, an individual--
(A) designated by the State agency in charge of
such State's paid family and medical leave program to--
(i) participate in the I-PLAN;
(ii) lead such State's efforts to adopt and
implement the I-PLAN Agreement; and
(iii) communicate with key paid leave
stakeholders across the State; and
(B) who--
(i) is employed by such State's paid family
and medical leave program; and
(ii) has knowledge, experience, and
authority in paid leave matters.
(10) State paid family and medical leave program.--The
terms ``State paid family and medical leave program'' and
``State program'' mean a program under State law that provides,
during any 24-month period, a total of not less than 6 weeks of
paid leave to individuals--
(A) for each qualifying reason; and
(B) in aggregate.
SEC. 202. INTERSTATE PAID LEAVE ACTION NETWORK.
(a) In General.--
(1) Establishment.--There is established an Interstate Paid
Leave Action Network the purpose of which is to provide support
and incentives for the development and adoption of an
interstate agreement in accordance with this title to benefit
employees, States, and employers by--
(A) facilitating streamlined benefit delivery;
(B) reducing administrative burden; and
(C) coordinating and harmonizing State programs.
(2) Membership.--The I-PLAN shall include a State focal
from each State receiving a conforming grant under section
204(a).
(3) Meetings.--The I-PLAN shall meet not less than 3 times
in each calendar year.
(4) Processes.--
(A) Certification.--States shall certify to the
Secretary their participation in the I-PLAN.
(B) Procedures.--State focals may determine, in
coordination with the Secretary, the process for the
following:
(i) the order in which States approach the
substance of each I-PLAN requirement;
(ii) the process by which States reach
consensus on such substance and agree to the I-
PLAN Agreement;
(iii) the process by which a State may
leave the I-PLAN; and
(iv) other processes relevant to the
success and administration of the I-PLAN as the
Secretary determines.
(5) Roadmap.--The I-PLAN shall develop, and annually
update, a roadmap for developing and implementing the
interstate agreement described in subsection (b) including
metrics for success.
(b) Duties.--The duty of the I-PLAN shall be to produce an
interstate agreement into which States offering a State paid family and
medical leave program may enter and to periodically update such
agreement as necessary to improve clarity and scope. Such agreement
shall be publicly available and pursue each of the following
requirements:
(1) Policy standard.--Create a single policy standard with
respect to all participating States to facilitate easier
compliance with and understanding of paid leave programs across
States, including definitions for the following:
(A) Benefit day, week, and year.
(B) Base period.
(C) Intermittent and reduced schedule leave.
(D) Place of performance.
(E) Family members.
(F) Employee eligibility.
(G) Employee coverage.
(H) Waiting period.
(I) Covered wage.
(2) Administrative standard.--Create a single
administrative standard with respect to all participating
States to facilitate easier compliance with and understanding
of paid leave programs across States, including--
(A) the process by which employers respond to
requests from States to verify and provide employee
information for eligibility determinations, including
wages and work history;
(B) the process by which employers provide periodic
and permanent notice of the availability of paid leave
under a State program or employer plan to employees;
(C) employees' responsibility to provide notices of
leave to their employers;
(D) timing of and process for collecting payroll
contributions;
(E) coordinating with other types of paid time off
and leaves of absence;
(F) continuing other benefits;
(G) accessing employee leave information;
(H) protecting personal information;
(I) creating and updating written leave materials
such as handbooks;
(J) maintaining records and documentation; and
(K) if a State program permits employers to elect
to provide employer plans, facilitating such election,
including by creating a single equivalency standard
with respect to all participating States to determine
whether the maximum monetary value of an employer plan
for the average weekly wage of workers in the State for
total covered establishments in all industries (based
on the most recent calendar year for which data are
available from the Quarterly Census of Employment and
Wages program of the BLS) is greater than or equal to
the maximum monetary value of a State program (or that
of multiple States), taking into account programmatic
elements such as--
(i) how benefit duration, wage replacement,
absence of a weekly benefit cap, absence of a
waiting week, and other factors interact in a
quantitative manner; and
(ii) how an individual taking paid family
and medical leave for a qualifying reason
affects the ability of such individual to take
paid family and medical leave for another
qualifying reason.
(3) Coordination of benefits across state programs.--Create
a single process for State programs to process claims for an
individual who has work history across multiple participating
States so that a single State program may provide benefits to
such individual on the basis of all such work history.
SEC. 203. NATIONAL INTERMEDIARY TO SUPPORT THE INTERSTATE PAID LEAVE
ACTION NETWORK.
(a) Authority To Make Grants.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations under section 205(a), the Secretary, acting through the
Employment and Training Administration, shall award a grant to one
national intermediary to facilitate the activities of the I-PLAN.
(b) Use of Funds.--A national intermediary awarded a grant under
subsection (a) shall use funds for the costs related to each of the
following:
(1) Meetings.--Meeting activities, including--
(A) convening the State focals as described in
section 202(a)(3), including reasonable travel,
transportation, and other expenses of State focals and
staff of the national intermediary (and any necessary
accompanying State personnel);
(B) making publicly available information on the
agendas and outcomes of such meetings; and
(C)(i) not later than 12 months after the date of
enactment of this title, making publicly available the
roadmap described under section 202(a)(5); and
(ii) making any updates to such roadmap publicly
available.
(2) Annual report.--Producing and making publicly available
on an annual basis a report that compares State programs,
including information on--
(A) benefit eligibility;
(B) the maximum number of weeks an eligible
employee is allowed to receive benefits--
(i) for each qualifying reason; and
(ii) in aggregate;
(C) wage replacement rate and how that may vary
based on prior earnings;
(D) maximum weekly benefit amount;
(E) how such programs are financed by employees and
employers, including the payroll tax rate and amount of
wages subject to tax;
(F) whether and how such programs allow employers
to provide employer plans, taking into consideration
elements such as--
(i) benefit payment timeliness; and
(ii) employer and employee administrative
complexity;
(G) whether and how such programs coordinate with
other types of paid-time off and leaves of absence;
(H) the reasons, including qualifying reasons,
under which an individual is eligible to take paid
family and medical leave; and
(I) other activities essential for the success,
effectiveness, and sustainability of the I-PLAN.
(3) Outreach and coordination.--Engagement, consulting, and
gathering relevant information in coordination with I-PLAN
States from a wide range of external stakeholders, including--
(A) State legislatures;
(B) Governors;
(C) employees;
(D) representatives of employers, including--
(i) employers with employees in multiple
States; and
(ii) employers with fewer than 50
employees;
(E) self-employed individuals;
(F) policy experts and other organizations with
expertise on paid leave and unemployment compensation
programs; and
(G) Tribal governments.
(4) Standardized and interoperable technology system for
wages.--Providing a standardized technology-based system to
facilitate States' ability to carry out the I-PLAN Agreement,
allowing States to process interstate claims and strengthen
program integrity, that--
(A) adopts or leverages modular technology that--
(i) ensures privacy, security, and prompt
data availability;
(ii) enhances and streamlines the claimant,
employer, and participating State experience;
and
(iii) is interoperable with other relevant
State systems; and
(B) permits States to report on, to the extent
reasonable and technologically feasible, and
disaggregated by qualifying reason, on trends such as--
(i) the number of initial and continued
benefit claims;
(ii) average duration of benefits;
(iii) average weekly benefit amount;
(iv) average time between filing a claim
and receiving an initial benefit payment; and
(v) the accuracy of benefit payment
amounts.
(5) Additional uses.--Additional activities, including--
(A) hiring and compensating staff;
(B) formulating guidance, recommendations, and best
practices for States;
(C) providing training on program administration;
(D) providing technical assistance to States; and
(E) creating or leveraging technology essential for
the success and effectiveness of the I-PLAN.
(c) Duration of Award.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the period
during which payments are made to an entity from an award of a
grant under subsection (a) shall be 5 years.
(2) Compliance.--The Secretary shall annually evaluate
whether the national intermediary is complying with the
requirements of this title and, if the Secretary determines
that the national intermediary is not so complying, shall
withhold any payment or part of the payment to the national
intermediary under this section for the following fiscal year
unless and until the Secretary determines the national
intermediary has remedied such compliance issue.
(d) National Intermediary Oversight.--The Secretary shall--
(1) monitor the national intermediary to ensure compliance
with the requirements of this title;
(2) provide technical assistance to assist the national
intermediary with such compliance; and
(3) require regular reports on the performance of the
national intermediary, including on the roadmap under section
202(a)(5), the use of funds under section 203(b), and other
methods of evaluation.
SEC. 204. GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE STATES.
(a) Conforming Grants.--
(1) In general.--
(A) Authority to make grants.--Subject to the
availability of appropriations under section 205(b),
the Secretary, acting through the Employment and
Training Administration, shall, on an annual basis,
make a conforming grant to each eligible State.
(B) Amount of grant.--
(i) In general.--A grant to an eligible
State under this subsection shall be--
(I) not less than $1,500,000 and
not more than $8,000,000; and
(II) subject to subclause (I),
awarded on the basis of the relative
annual level of employment (as
published by the Current Employment
Statistics program of the BLS) of the
eligible State, compared to the annual
level of employment in all eligible
States.
(ii) Adjustment.--The amounts specified in
clause (i) shall be ratably increased or
decreased to the extent that funds available
under section 205(b) exceed or are less than
(respectively) the amount required to provide
the amounts specified in clause (i).
(2) Eligible states.--
(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant
under paragraph (1), a State shall--
(i) have a State focal; and
(ii) participate in the I-PLAN in good
faith.
(B) Good faith requirement.--
(i) Withholding.--If the Secretary, in
consultation with the national intermediary
awarded the grant under section 203(a),
determines that a State is not participating in
the I-PLAN in good faith, the Secretary--
(I) shall provide warning and
feedback to States in a prompt manner;
and
(II) if, six months after the date
on which the Secretary provides such
warning and feedback, the Secretary
determines such State continues not to
participate in the I-PLAN in good
faith, the Secretary may elect to
withhold a portion or the total amount
of a grant under paragraph (1) to such
State.
(ii) Restoration.--If the Secretary elects
to withhold an amount from a State under clause
(i)(II), the Secretary may later elect to
provide the amount so withheld to such State if
the Secretary later determines that such State
is participating in good faith.
(b) Implementation Grants.--
(1) In general.--
(A) Authority to make grants.--Subject to the
availability of appropriations under section 205(c),
the Secretary, acting through the Employment and
Training Administration, shall, on an annual basis,
make an implementation grant to each eligible State.
(B) Amount of grant.--
(i) In general.--A grant to an eligible
State under this subsection shall be--
(I) not less than $1,500,000 and
not more than $8,000,000; and
(II) subject to subclause (I),
awarded on the basis of the relative
annual level of employment (as
published by Current Employment
Statistics program of the BLS) of the
eligible State, compared to the annual
level of employment in all eligible
States.
(ii) Adjustment.--The amounts specified in
clause (i) shall be ratably increased or
decreased to the extent that funds available
under section 205(c) exceed or are less than
(respectively) the amount required to provide
the amounts specified in clause (i).
(2) Eligibility.--
(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), to be
eligible to receive a grant under paragraph (1), a
State shall--
(i) meet the requirements of subsection
(a)(2)(A); and
(ii) have entered into the I-PLAN
Agreement.
(B) Limitation.--A State described in subparagraph
(A) shall be ineligible to receive a grant for any
fiscal year beginning after the date that is 4 years
after the date on which such State enters into the I-
PLAN Agreement in which such State does not meet the
requirements of such Agreement.
(c) Use of Funds.--A State may use grants received under this
section--
(1) to help pay administrative costs, including costs
related to--
(A) customer service;
(B) staffing and training;
(C) technology;
(D) data sharing;
(E) identity validation; and
(F) program awareness; and
(2) to help small businesses, as defined by the State,
afford employer payroll contributions or access other forms of
technical and operational assistance related to State paid
family and medical leave.
SEC. 205. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) National Intermediary Grant.--There are authorized to be
appropriated not more than $8,824,106.36 for the purposes of section
203 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2028.
(b) Conforming Grants.--There are authorized to be appropriated not
more than $35,296,425.43 for the purposes of section 204(a) for each of
fiscal years 2026 through 2028.
(c) Implementation Grants.--There are authorized to be appropriated
not more than $35,296,425.43 for the purposes of section 204(b) for
each of fiscal years 2026 through 2028.
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