Illinois House Passes Costa Howard-Backed Bill Improving FMLA Coverage for School Workers

LOMBARD – Hourly workers employed by Illinois public schools, community colleges, and state universities will qualify sooner for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) coverage under new legislation sponsored by state Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn and passed by the Illinois House.

“The federal FMLA recognizes that working people should have the right to take a leave of absence when they are seriously ill, when a family member has a major health issue, or when they are taking care of a new baby,” Costa Howard said. “Under federal rules, most workers are eligible for family leave after a calendar year of full-time employment. Unfortunately, the structure of school calendars has meant that many hourly employees of public school systems had to wait almost a year and a half before they were eligible. This law will extend FMLA coverage to those workers after 12 months of full-time employment.“

House Bill 12 extends FMLA coverage to workers who have been employed by a school district, public university, or community college for at least 12 months and who have worked at least 1,000 hours. The legislation passed with strong bipartisan support in the Illinois House on April 14 and now awaits passage in the Illinois Senate.

“I’m very proud that the Illinois House is standing up for dedicated school district and college workers in our state,” Costa Howard said. “I hope the Illinois Senate will move quickly to improve access to FMLA for these hard-working employees, and I look forward to the day when the Governor will sign this bill into law.”