# 119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act 119-s-3869, Healthy Families Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-07-15). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869 - As of: 2026-07-15 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-s-3869 - Congress: 119 - Title: Healthy Families Act - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2026-02-12 - Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT) - Cosponsors: 35 - Policy area: Labor and Employment - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-07-15 ## Summary **National earned paid sick time.** This bill would create a federal framework requiring covered employers to provide paid sick leave that accrues at 1 hour per 30 hours worked and can be used for personal illness, caregiving, preventive care, or needs related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. - Families: Parents and caregivers can use paid sick time to care for children or other covered family members, attend medical appointments, or address safety and legal needs related to domestic violence or stalking. - Workers: Employees earn 1 hour per 30 hours worked, can use leave after 60 days of employment, and may use up to 56 hours per year unless an employer offers a higher cap. - Employers and federal staff: Employers that employed one or more employees for 20 or more workweeks must comply and must post notices, keep records, and follow certification and confidentiality rules. The Secretary of Labor can investigate violations and pursue civil remedies, and the bill explicitly covers entities like the Government Accountability Office and the Library of Congress. ## Cosponsors (35) - Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] (D-WA), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] (D-DE), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] (D-WA), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA] (D-PA), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (I-ME), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] (D-RI), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI] (D-MI), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2026-02-25T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-02-25T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD] (D-MD), 2026-03-25T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2026-04-14T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] (D-RI), 2026-05-14T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2026-07-13T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Who is covered by paid sick time: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would define which employers and workers must follow the law. Employers with at least one employee on each workday for 20 or more weeks this year or last year would be covered. The bill would also expressly include GAO and Library of Congress employees, rail carriers, successor… - Worker lawsuits and money remedies: benefit, high. If enacted, employees could sue in State or Federal court for violations. Courts could order employers to pay lost wages, salary, benefits, or other compensation. If no wages were lost, courts could award up to 56 hours of pay. Judges could also award interest, extra damages, reinstatement, and rea… - How you earn and use sick time: benefit, medium. If enacted, employees would earn at least 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Annual accrual under the bill would be capped at 56 hours unless an employer gives more. Unused time would carry over each year but annual use could not exceed the cap. You would start earning on day one a… - Protections against being punished: benefit, medium. If enacted, it would be illegal for employers to interfere with or punish employees for using paid sick time. Employers could not fire, demote, or discriminate against you for taking leave. They also could not count paid sick time under no-fault attendance rules or require you to find a replacement… - What you can use sick time for: benefit, medium. If enacted, employees would be able to use paid sick time for their own physical or mental illness, diagnosis, treatment, or preventive care. You could use it to care for a child, parent, spouse, domestic partner, or a close family-like person. The bill would also let you use paid sick time for nee… - Data, studies, and outreach funding: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics would make an annual report on how much paid sick time workers have and how much they use by occupation and establishment type. The GAO would do a study and report to Congress within 5 years on implementation and access. The Secretary would report on rail-… - When rules start and enforcement timing: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Secretary of Labor would have to issue implementing regulations within 180 days after enactment. The Act would generally take effect 6 months after those regulations are issued. Other agencies with covered employees would have 90 days after the Secretary's rules to issue matching ru… - Employer notice and posting rules: benefit, low. If enacted, employers would have to tell every worker about paid sick time and include the rules in handbooks. Employers would also have to post a government-approved notice where workers can see it. An employer who willfully fails to post could be fined up to $100 for each separate offense. These… - Employer proof and privacy rules: mixed, low. If enacted, employers could ask for a health-care provider note only when paid sick leave lasts more than 3 consecutive workdays. You would have to give the note within 30 days but your employer could not delay your leave while waiting. Rules would say how people without health insurance can prove… ## Related bills - 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 - 119-s-2523: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 - 119-s-1115: Paycheck Fairness Act ## Sources - [119-s-3869 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3869) ## Related - [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) - [119-s-2523: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2523) - [119-s-1115: Paycheck Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1115) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869 (as of 2026-07-15).