H.R. 3090 — I–PLAN Act of 2025

This section defines terms used in the Act, including "(1) qualifying reason," as a reason described in 29 U.S.C. 2612(a)(1)(A)–(D) (i.e., birth of a child and care for the newborn; placement for adoption or foster care; care for a spouse, child, or parent with a serious health condition; or the employee's own serious health condition); "(2) State paid family and medical leave program," as a program under state law providing at least 6 weeks of paid leave during any 24-month period for each or in aggregate qualifying reason; and "(3) employer-provided paid family and medical leave plan," as an employer plan (including via insurer or multiemployer plan) that meets or exceeds state program requirements. The section also defines "I–PLAN" as the Interstate Paid Leave Action Network established in section 3(a); "State focal" as a state-designated individual to lead I–PLAN implementation; and other terms such as "paid leave," "national intermediary," and "BLS" (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

This section establishes the Interstate Paid Leave Action Network (I-PLAN) to support development and adoption of an interstate agreement among states offering paid family and medical leave programs. The I-PLAN includes a state focal point from each state receiving a conforming grant under section 5(a); requires at least three meetings per calendar year; mandates certification of state participation to the Secretary of Labor; allows state focals, in coordination with the Secretary, to set processes for addressing requirements, reaching consensus, exiting the network, and other administration; and requires development and annual updates to a roadmap with success metrics. The I-PLAN must produce a publicly available interstate agreement—and periodically update it—establishing (1) a single policy standard across participating states, including uniform definitions for benefit day, week, and year; base period; intermittent and reduced schedule leave; place of performance; family members; employee eligibility and coverage; waiting period; and covered wage; (2) a single administrative standard, including processes for employer verification of employee information, notices of program availability, employee leave notices, payroll contributions, coordination with other paid time off, continuation of benefits, access to leave information, data protection, written materials, recordkeeping, and (if applicable) employer plan elections with a uniform equivalency standard comparing maximum monetary value to the state program (factoring benefit duration, wage replacement, absence of caps or waiting weeks, and interactions among qualifying reasons); and (3) a single process for coordinating benefits based on work history across multiple participating states. (Thus, the agreement facilitates streamlined compliance, reduced administrative burdens, and portable benefits for interstate workers and employers.)

This section directs the Secretary of Labor, acting through the Employment and Training Administration, to award a grant to one national intermediary to facilitate activities of the Interstate Paid Leave Action Network (I-PLAN)—a voluntary state network to coordinate interstate paid family and medical leave programs—subject to appropriations under section 6(a). The intermediary must use funds for (1) meeting activities, including convening state focals, public agendas and outcomes, and a roadmap published no later than 12 months after enactment (with updates); (2) annual public reports comparing state programs on eligibility, benefit weeks by reason and aggregate, wage replacement rates, maximum weekly benefits, financing, employer plans, coordination with other leave, qualifying reasons, and I-PLAN success factors; (3) outreach to stakeholders such as state legislatures, governors, employees, multi-state and small employers, self-employed individuals, policy experts, and Tribal governments; (4) a standardized, interoperable technology system for interstate wage processing and claims to enhance integrity, privacy, and trend reporting (e.g., claims volume, durations, processing times by qualifying reason); and (5) additional activities such as staff hiring, guidance, training, technical assistance, and essential technology. The grant term is 5 years, subject to annual compliance evaluations that may withhold payments until remedied; the Secretary must oversee compliance, provide technical assistance, and require regular performance reports.

This section authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Employment and Training Administration, to make annual conforming grants to eligible states (i.e., those with a state focal point that participate in good faith in the I-PLAN), subject to appropriations under section 6(b), in amounts of not less than $1.5 million and not more than $8 million (pro rata adjusted based on available funds and allocated by relative state employment levels from BLS Current Employment Statistics); the Secretary may withhold funds from non-good-faith participants after warning and a six-month cure period, with restoration possible upon compliance. The section further authorizes similar annual implementation grants to states that meet conforming grant eligibility and have entered the I-PLAN Agreement, subject to appropriations under section 6(c), except states become ineligible after four years without meeting Agreement requirements. Grant funds may be used for specified administrative costs (e.g., customer service, staffing, technology, data sharing) or to assist small businesses with employer payroll contributions or technical/operational support related to state paid family and medical leave programs.

This section authorizes appropriations of not more than (1) $10 million for national intermediary grants under section 4, (2) $40 million for conforming grants under section 5(a), and (3) $40 million for implementation grants under section 5(b), for each of FY2026 through FY2028.