The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced yesterday that it is extending to April 30, 2012, the public comment period on its proposed rule to carry out changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The FMLA was amended in recent years to expand military family leave provisions and incorporate a special eligibility provision for airline flight crew employees. The notice of proposed rulemaking was published on February 15 and the initial comment period was scheduled to end April 16, 2012.
The DOL’s proposed rules would:
- Extend military caregiver leave to family members of veterans for up to five years after leaving the military. At this time, the law only covers family members of “currently serving” service members.
- Expand military caregiver leave to cover serious injuries or illnesses that result from the aggravation of a pre-existing condition in the line of duty for active service members and covered veterans.
- Extend qualifying exigency leave to employees whose family members serve in the regular armed forces. Currently, the law only covers families of National Guard members and reservists.
- Change flight crews’ hours of service eligibility requirements.
Meanwhile, the DOL published updated FMLA notification, designation and certification forms in February that are effective through February 28, 2015. These may change once the DOL finalizes the proposed regulations.
To view the proposed rule and submit comments, visit the federal e-rulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov and search by regulation identification number 1235-AA03. Check back here for the latest FMLA news and Compliance Poster Company’s new FMLA poster when it releases.