Status of the Healthy Families Act
From the Take Care Net
Released January 26, 2005
In June 2004, Senator Kennedy and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro introduced groundbreaking legislation that will allow workers to take up to 7 days of job protected sick days when they or a family member becomes ill. Sadly, millions of women and men literally face losing their jobs if they need to take a sick day or pick a sick child up from school.
The legislation will be re-introduced sometime in 2005 although the date is not yet certain. In the meantime there are many efforts to build momentum for the legislation. And there is much Take Care Net can do to help (many Take Care Net members are already leaders on this issue).
A Coalition, created by the National Partnership for Women and Families, is helping to move the Act forward. Coalition activities include:
1) Sign the Petition - there is a petition available on many web sites (including the National Partnership) where individuals can sign up to support the legislation. Signatures will be used for lobby visits and possibly for a press event.
2) Lobby Visits and Writing Members of Congress - we are coordinating lobbying visits to House and Senate offices to help convince additional members to co-sponsor the legislation when it is re-introduced.
3) Encouraging Additional Group Support - currently more than 40 groups and organizations have officially "endorsed" the Healthy Families Act. Our Healthy Families Act coalition contains more than 80 organizations. We are scheduling meetings and compiling research to garner the support of additional groups.
4) Research - we welcome any new information that helps make the case for paid sick days - especially research that will help quantify the benefits such as retention, curbing the spread of disease, or why the issue should matter to a specific group (such as seniors). Research is also needed on school readiness and health benefits for children when a parent can care for them during an illness.
5) Identifying business owners that support the legislation - We are working to identify members of the business community that are willing to speak to the media about the importance of the legislation. Some are owners that already provide sick days - others would be able to provide sick days if there was a level playing field and their competitors would also provide the leave.
6) Identifying real people willing to speak to the press about their own need for paid sick days and the consequences of not having them.
7) Op-eds and letters to the editor - especially during flu season - about the need for paid sick days.
