Congress: Bill Introduced for Paid Parental Leave to Be Paid Back from Future Social Security Retirement Benefits (Washington Update, August 8, 2018)

On August 1, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Economic Security for New Parents Act (S.3345). The bill would give parents the option to take paid parental leave for up to 12 weeks, for a total of 24 weeks per couple, for each child who has been born or adopted. In return, parents would defer their Social Security retirement benefits for three to six months in order to offset the cost of their parental benefits. The benefit would be transferable between parents in the household and would be available to both working and stay-at-home parents. The bill would not provide paid sick leave or leave to care for an ill family member. Rep. AnnWagner (R-MO) is planning to introduce a similar proposal in the House in September. See Senator Rubio’s website, which links to New Parents Face the “Social Insecurity” of Our Time, So Let’s Help (USA Today, 8/1/18); and Marco Rubio to Introduce “Conservative Solution” on Paid Family Leave (Washington Examiner, 7/5/18). In a statement submitted for the record of a July 24 Senate Finance Committee hearing on family leave, about two dozen members of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) expressed opposition to using Social Security retirement benefits to offset paid family leave.