FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 30, 2025
CONTACT: [email protected]
One Country Project Applauds Federal Paid Family Leave Framework
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, One Country Project (OCP) issued the following statement on the introduction of Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6) and Stephanie Bice’s (R-OK-5) More Paid Leave for More Americans Act alongside the Bipartisan House Paid Family Leave Working Group. The legislation establishes the State Paid Family Leave Public-Private Partnership Grant Program that would be run by the U.S. Department of Labor.
“Paid family leave (PFL) is an essential pro-worker policy that enables our nation’s workforce to care for their families and themselves. The absence of paid leave disproportionately impacts rural workers, who often work for smaller businesses, live farther from medical facilities, and lean older. Without this benefit that several other countries around the world have enforced, workers are forced to take unpaid leave or exit the workforce entirely to care for their families or recover from their own illnesses.
“Reps. Houlahan and Bice’s bill is a critical step forward for hardworking Americans in rural America and beyond. By establishing a competitive grant program, this bill would create a modest incentive for states to establish their own paid family leave programs. It would also implement a national intermediary to facilitate coordination and harmonization of state programs.
“One Country Project is committed to advocating for rural Americans’ policy priorities and looks forward to working with their offices and the PFL Working Group to establish a federal program ensuring workers have access to paid family and medical leave.”
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About One Country Project
Rural America holds an essential role in moving the United States forward and the One Country Project is dedicated to ensuring rural America’s priorities and values are heard and reflected in policy at the federal level. To learn more, visit us at www.onecountryproject.com or on Twitter or Facebook.