Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) introduced a bill this week focusing on protecting new parents from “being exposed to undue healthcare costs.”
If enacted, Vance and Florida U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) Fairness for Stay-At-Home Parents Act would amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to “prohibit an employer from recovering any health care premium paid by the employer for an employee if the employee fails to return to work due to the birth of a child.”
The bill would specifically add “birth of a child” as a protected reason for not returning to work under FMLA.
Under current law, FMLA shields workers from health care premium clawbacks from their employers in the event of serious health conditions, however, not in the event of childbirth.
Vance and Rubio argue FMLA’s lack of protection for childbirth is “penalizing mothers who choose to prioritize their child’s early development and recover rather than return to work within the 12 weeks provided under FMLA.”
“Our laws should not penalize new parents who choose to stay home to care for their newborn babies,” Vance said in a statement. “We should celebrate and promote young families, not punish them. This legislation would relieve a serious financial burden for working families all over America and steer Washington in a more pro-family direction.”
“The Fairness for Stay-At-Home Parents Act supports mothers’ and parents’ invaluable role in raising the next generation,” Rubio added. “This legislation stops employers from imposing harsh financial penalties if a parent decides not to return to work after unpaid leave, and it empowers families to make choices that prioritize the well-being of their children.”
The American Principles Project has since endorsed Vance and Rubio’s bill.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “JD Vance” by JD Vance.
