Federal agencies would be allowed to use appropriated funds to subsidize child care for their employees under a bill approved Thursday by the House Civil Service Subcommittee.
The bill, H.R. 206, permits agencies to use appropriated funds to make child care more affordable and accessible for low- and middle-grade employees.
According to the National Treasury Employees Union, child care is a top household expense for working families with children between ages three and five. While some federal buildings feature on-site child care centers, the services can be expensive to the point of excluding lower income workers.
"The offer of partial subsidies would enable many more federal employees to take advantage of on-site child care services," said NTEU president Robert Tobias.
The subcommittee also approved the Organ Donor Leave Act (H.R. 457) on Thursday. The bill, introduced by Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md., would give federal employees who donate organs 30 days of leave. Under current law, employees are allowed seven days of leave to donate bone marrow or organs. The bill would not change the allotted leave time for bone marrow donations, and the leave provided under the bill is separate from traditional annual or sick leave provided to federal workers.
According to United Network Organ Sharing's scientific registry data, 4,122 organs were recovered in 1998 from living donors while, as of May 5, 1999, 43,622 people were on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, the most common organ transplant involving living donors.
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