§ 2601. — Findings and purposes.
[Laws in effect as of January 7, 2003]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 7, 2003 and December 19, 2003]
[CITE: 29USC2601]
TITLE 29--LABOR
CHAPTER 28--FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE
Sec. 2601. Findings and purposes
(a) Findings
Congress finds that--
(1) the number of single-parent households and two-parent
households in which the single parent or both parents work is
increasing significantly;
(2) it is important for the development of children and the
family unit that fathers and mothers be able to participate in early
childrearing and the care of family members who have serious health
conditions;
(3) the lack of employment policies to accommodate working
parents can force individuals to choose between job security and
parenting;
(4) there is inadequate job security for employees who have
serious health conditions that prevent them from working for
temporary periods;
(5) due to the nature of the roles of men and women in our
society, the primary responsibility for family caretaking often
falls on women, and such responsibility affects the working lives of
women more than it affects the working lives of men; and
(6) employment standards that apply to one gender only have
serious potential for encouraging employers to discriminate against
employees and applicants for employment who are of that gender.
(b) Purposes
It is the purpose of this Act--
(1) to balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of
families, to promote the stability and economic security of
families, and to promote national interests in preserving family
integrity;
(2) to entitle employees to take reasonable leave for medical
reasons, for the birth or adoption of a child, and for the care of a
child, spouse, or parent who has a serious health condition;
(3) to accomplish the purposes described in paragraphs (1) and
(2) in a manner that accommodates the legitimate interests of
employers;
(4) to accomplish the purposes described in paragraphs (1) and
(2) in a manner that, consistent with the Equal Protection Clause of
the Fourteenth Amendment, minimizes the potential for employment
discrimination on the basis of sex by ensuring generally that leave
is available for eligible medical reasons (including maternity-
related disability) and for compelling family reasons, on a gender-
neutral basis; and
(5) to promote the goal of equal employment opportunity for
women and men, pursuant to such clause.
(Pub. L. 103-3, Sec. 2, Feb. 5, 1993, 107 Stat. 6.)
References in Text
This Act, referred to in subsec. (b), is Pub. L. 103-3, Feb. 5,
1993, 107 Stat. 6, known as the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993,
which enacted this chapter, sections 60m and 60n of Title 2, The
Congress, and sections 6381 to 6387 of Title 5, Government Organization
and Employees, amended section 2105 of Title 5, and enacted provisions
set out as notes below. For complete classification of this Act to the
Code, see Short Title note set out below and Tables.
Effective Date
Section 405 title IV of Pub. L. 103-3 provided that:
``(a) Title III.--Title III [enacting subchapter II of this chapter]
shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Feb. 5,
1993].
``(b) Other Titles.--
``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), titles
I, II, and V and this title [enacting subchapters I and III of this
chapter, sections 60m and 60n of Title 2, The Congress, and sections
6381 to 6387 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, and
amending section 2105 of Title 5] shall take effect 6 months after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
``(2) Collective bargaining agreements.--In the case of a
collective bargaining agreement in effect on the effective date
prescribed by paragraph (1), title I [enacting subchapter I of this
chapter] shall apply on the earlier of--
``(A) the date of the termination of such agreement; or
``(B) the date that occurs 12 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act.''
Short Title
Section 1(a) of Pub. L. 103-3 provided that: ``This Act [enacting
this chapter, sections 60m and 60n of Title 2, The Congress, and
sections 6381 to 6387 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees,
amending section 2105 of Title 5, and enacting provisions set out above]
may be cited as the `Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993'.''
Act Referred to in Other Sections
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 is referred to in title 2
sections 1302, 1312, 1371, 1434, 1923; title 3 section 402.
