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RuleLabor DepartmentFederal Contract Compliance Programs OfficeSignificant Wallet
119-hr-4908119th CongressWALLET
Time Off to Vote Act
Sponsored By: Representative Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5]
Introduced
Summary
Two consecutive hours of paid leave to vote would be required for employees of employers with 25 or more workers on any federal election day. The leave would cover in-person voting, returning a mailed ballot, or other voting-related activities while polls or voting sites are open.
Show full summary
- Employees: Eligible workers would be able to request at least 2 consecutive paid hours to vote. Taking this leave would not reduce benefits already earned and is protected from employer retaliation, and meal or other breaks cannot count toward the two hours.
- Employers: Applies to employers engaged in commerce who employ 25 or more employees during a calendar year. Employers could designate the two-hour period and may require the leave to occur during a state’s early voting period, while state or local laws that provide more generous voting leave would still apply.
- Enforcement: The Secretary of Labor would investigate alleged violations using authority similar to the Family and Medical Leave Act and could assess civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation, payable to the Treasury and recoverable in federal court.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Paid voting time for workers
This bill would give workers at covered employers at least 2 straight hours of paid time off to vote. You could use it to vote in person, return a mail ballot, or do other voting tasks while polls or sites are open. Your employer could choose the time and could require you to use an early‑voting period if state law allows. Lunch or other breaks would not count toward the two hours, but you could take them back‑to‑back. You would not lose benefits you already earned, and employers could not block or punish you for using this leave. This applies only if your employer has 25 or more employees.
Investigations and penalties for employers
If enacted, the Labor Department would have the same investigation powers as it has under FMLA. Employers that break these rules could face civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation. The Secretary of Labor would weigh business size, how serious the violation was, good faith, and past history. Penalties would be paid to the U.S. Treasury. The government could bring cases in federal district court where the violation happened or where the employer’s main office is located.
Who is covered by paid voting leave
This bill would cover employers that have 25 or more employees during the year. It would use the Fair Labor Standards Act’s meaning of employee to decide who qualifies. Agents and successors of an employer would also be responsible. Stronger state or local voting‑leave laws would still apply; this bill would set a federal minimum. If your employer has fewer than 25 workers, these federal leave rules would not apply.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5]
GA • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2]
LA • D
Sponsored 10/1/2026
Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3]
AZ • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Brown, Shontel M. [D-OH-11]
OH • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7]
IN • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1]
HI • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20]
FL • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9]
NY • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5]
MO • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30]
TX • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1]
WA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17]
PA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37]
TX • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3]
MD • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3]
PA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6]
LA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Figures, Shomari [D-AL-2]
AL • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4]
IL • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9]
TX • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1]
IL • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4]
GA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37]
CA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
IL • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]
PA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]
MA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4]
VA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]
NJ • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5]
NY • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7]
MD • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
WI • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
MA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15]
CA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]
CO • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]
WI • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]
MA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3]
IL • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6]
OR • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
IL • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3]
VA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7]
AL • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12]
CA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10]
WA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Sykes, Emilia Strong [D-OH-13]
OH • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]
MS • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1]
NV • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20]
NY • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6]
MD • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1]
CO • D
Sponsored 8/29/2025
Rep. Latimer, George [D-NY-16]
NY • D
Sponsored 9/3/2025
Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2]
RI • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Rep. Min, Dave [D-CA-47]
CA • D
Sponsored 10/8/2025
Rep. McGarvey, Morgan [D-KY-3]
KY • D
Sponsored 6/3/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov