119th (2025–2027)
H.R. 5222
This bill expands family leave protections to school paraprofessionals and education support staff—such as classroom aides, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, and administrative personnel—by making them eligible for coverage under the existing Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. Currently, these workers often don't qualify for unpaid family and medical leave because they work part-time or seasonal schedules that don't meet the law's strict hour requirements. The legislation modifies eligibility rules so that education support employees only need to work at least 60 percent of the expected monthly hours for their position during the previous school year, rather than the standard 1,250 annual hours required of other workers. Schools would be required to document expected monthly hours for each employee's job description and provide this information to the Department of Labor. The bill does not create new funding but establishes calculation methods for how leave should be credited to these workers, making family leave more accessible to a significant segment of the school workforce.