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Unions, caregivers and advocates urge council to reject cuts to D.C. government paid family leave
Summary
Labor unions, caregiving advocates and individual caregivers told the Committee on Executive Administration and Labor that Bill 26‑326 would sharply reduce paid family leave for District government employees—cutting caregiving leave from eight weeks to two—and warned of punitive continuation-of-service and repayment provisions.
Chair Anita Bonds convened a Dec. 4 public hearing on Bill 26‑326, the District Employee Paid Parental, Family and Medical Leave Amendment Act of 2025, and heard widespread opposition from unions, caregiving advocates and individual employees.
Dozens of witnesses argued the bill would harm workers who care for children, aging parents and other family members. Phyllis Love, a volunteer ward liaison with AARP DC, said she ‘‘strongly oppose[d] proposed cuts to paid family leave for D.C. government workers’’ and urged the committee to ‘‘preserve the current 8‑week coverage especially for caregiving leave use.’’ AARP State President Ron Hampton testified the bill ‘‘will sharply reduce paid family and medical leave for D.C. Government Employees by cutting benefits from 8 weeks to 2 weeks, narrowing eligibility,’’ and described proposed repayment and continuation provisions as punitive. Union leaders representing police, firefighters and multiple AFGE locals warned the cuts would worsen staffing and retention problems for public safety and frontline services.
Witnesses also highlighted the bill’s narrower definition of qualifying family members. Laura Brown of the 1st Shift Justice Project warned that excluding grandparents and siblings ‘‘unfairly restricts families’ ability’’ to organize care, and several union speakers emphasized the proposal’s required 12‑week continuation‑of‑service agreement and potential recoupment of paid leave as a ‘‘debt trap.’’ Joey Davis, president of AFGE Local 1975, said bluntly, ‘‘This bill is punishment.’’
The hearing included personal accounts intended to show real‑world effects: one witness described caring for an elderly parent whose repeated hospitalizations required extended time off, and another recounted the program’s role in stabilizing a family after childbirth. Those testifying urged the council to protect existing benefits or pursue alternative savings that do not reduce paid caregiving leave.
Chair Bonds said the committee would examine the bills further, collect written testimony through Dec. 18, 2025, and invite agency witnesses for follow-up questions. The hearing record remains open through 5 p.m. on Dec. 18, 2025.
