(PM) – According to a report by the NBC News, congressional leaders and the White House have reached a tentative agreement that would give 12 weeks of paid parental leave to 2.1 million non-military federal employees in exchange for a “Space Force”.
This move would be the first time the government guarantees non-military employees access to paid parental leave.
The paid leave would apply to care for the adoption or birth of a child. It also would allow paid leave to care for a family member, according to the report.
The Family and Medical Leave Act, enacted in 1993, allows 12 weeks of parental leave but does not guarantee payment in that timeframe for employees.
The White House states that a space force will help “prevent conflict, preserve dominance, and define American leadership on this competitive—and deeply important—frontier.”
The move is part of the National Defense Authorization Act, which sets defense priorities. The bill still needs to be passed by houses of congress to be enacted.
