UPDATE: The Families First Coronavirus Response Act: New Sick Leave and Child-Care Leave Laws
On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) into law. The overwhelmingly bipartisan legislation passed the Senate earlier that day on a vote of 90-8. The House of Representatives passed the legislation on a vote of 363-40 on March 14. On March 16, 2020, the House approved a technical corrections package which made a number of substantive changes to the sick and child-care leave provisions in the earlier legislation. The multi-billion dollar law aims to temper the financial impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) on states, territories, the uninsured, the unemployed, workers, and individuals who rely on food assistance, such as children and low-income seniors. To ensure swift passage, the law did not include more contentious measures, such as tax cuts or plans to assist specific types of affected industries.
On April 1, 2020, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued new regulations to implement COVID-19-related paid sick and family leave benefits under the FFCRA, effective immediately (the “Regulations”). The Regulations provide the most comprehensive guidelines to date on who qualifies for COVID-19-related leave since the passage of the FFCRA.