# 119-s-2549: Time Off to Vote Act

119-s-2549, Time Off to Vote Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2549
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-2549
- Congress: 119
- Title: Time Off to Vote Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-07-30
- Sponsor: Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI)
- Cosponsors: 17
- Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**A national paid leave for voting.** This bill would require employers to give employees at least two consecutive hours of paid leave during Federal election voting hours to vote, return a mail ballot, or perform other voting-related activities. - Workers and families: Employees could use paid time to vote or return ballots without losing any employment benefits that accrued before the leave. Employers may set when the leave must be taken and can require it during state early-voting periods. - Employers: The rule would apply to employers with 25 or more employees. Violations could trigger civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation and enforcement by the Secretary of Labor under authority like the Family and Medical Leave Act. - Voter protections and timing: The bill would make it illegal to interfere with or retaliate against employees who use the leave and would defer to state or local laws that provide greater leave. It would take effect beginning with the first Federal election after enactment.

## Cosponsors (17)

- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Two-hour paid voting leave for workers: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would let you get two consecutive hours of paid leave to vote on any Federal election day while polls or voting sites are open. The leave would also cover returning a mailed ballot in person and other voting activities. Your employer could set when the two hours must be taken a…
- Worker protections and employer penalties: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would make it illegal for an employer to interfere with, deny, or punish an employee for taking voting leave. Employees would keep any job benefits they earned before taking the leave. The Secretary of Labor would have investigatory authority like under the FMLA. Employers that…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act
- 119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-2549 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2549)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-852)
- [119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2150)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2549 (as of 2026-04-21).