PRINTER'S NO. 326
No. 314 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY STACK, COSTA, LAVALLE, RAFFERTY, KITCHEN, WOZNIAK,
LOGAN AND C. WILLIAMS, FEBRUARY 16, 2005
REFERRED TO LABOR AND INDUSTRY, FEBRUARY 16, 2005
AN ACT
1 Providing for short-term family leave in employment.
2 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
3 hereby enacts as follows:
4 Section 1. Short title.
5 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Short-term
6 Family Leave Act.
7 Section 2. Definitions.
8 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
9 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
10 context clearly indicates otherwise:
11 "Emergency." Circumstances where the required seven-day
12 notice could have a significant adverse impact on the family
13 member of the employee.
14 Section 3. Short-term family leave.
15 An employee shall be entitled to take unpaid leave not to
16 exceed four hours in any 30-day period and not to exceed 16
17 hours in any 12-month period. An employer may require that leave
1 be taken in a minimum of two-hour segments and may be taken for
2 any of the following purposes:
3 (1) To participate in preschool or school activities
4 directly related to the academic educational advancement of
5 the employee's child, stepchild, foster child or ward who
6 lives with the employee, such as a parent-teacher conference
7 and educational field trips.
8 (2) To attend or to accompany the employee's child,
9 stepchild, foster child or ward who lives with the employee
10 or the employee's parent, spouse or parent-in-law to routine
11 medical or dental appointments.
12 (3) To accompany the employee's parent, spouse or
13 parent-in-law to other appointments for professional services
14 related to their care and well-being.
15 (4) To respond to a medical emergency involving the
16 employee's child, stepchild, foster child or ward who lives
17 with the employee or the employee's parent, spouse or parent-
18 in-law.
19 Section 4. Notice.
20 An employee shall make a reasonable attempt to schedule
21 appointments for which leave may be taken under this section
22 outside of regular work hours. In order to take leave under this
23 section, an employee shall provide the employer with the
24 earliest possible notice, but in no case later than seven days
25 before leave is to be taken except in the case of an emergency.
26 Section 5. Collective bargaining agreements.
27 In the event that the provisions of this act are found to be
28 inconsistent with existing collective bargaining agreements, the
29 provisions of the collective bargaining agreement shall prevail.
30 Section 6. Paid leave.
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1 At the employee's discretion, the employee may use accrued
2 paid leave, including vacation and personal leave.
3 Section 40. Effective date.
4 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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