In the wee hours of Saturday, March 14, 2020, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, three days after its introduction. Of primary interest to employers, if enacted, the bill would expand the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to include emergency FMLA leave to employers with 1 to 500 employees. The bill would also create emergency paid sick leave, provide tax credits to employers to finance these benefits, and provide additional federal funding to the states for unemployment insurance benefits. To become law, the House bill must also pass the Senate and be signed by the president. Although the White House worked with the House on the final version of the bill and President Trump has endorsed its enactment, as of Monday morning, March 16, the Senate had not yet scheduled a time to take up the bill.
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