A Better Balance applauds the release of the HEROES Act, a bold proposal to expand and build upon the groundbreaking paid leave protections of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. We thank Speaker Pelosi and champions in the House for their leadership on this crucial issue.
If passed, the HEROES Act would close loopholes in the existing law that exclude millions of American workers, including essential workers on the frontlines. The Act would expand coverage to employees of businesses with more than 500 employees and to healthcare workers, emergency responders, and small business employees left out under current law. In addition, the HEROES Act would expand paid leave protections under the law by providing extended paid leave for a broader range of purposes, covering additional health and caregiving needs, and extending emergency paid leave provisions through 2021. The bill also offers many other significant provisions, such as critically needed financial assistance to cities and states dealing with impact of the crisis.
We call upon Congress to swiftly pass the HEROES Act and ensure that all workers can take the paid leave they need to care for and protect themselves and their families in this crisis.
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