Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I might consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1422, the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act. This bill is a companion to H.R. 912, which this House approved in February on a voice vote. The bill we consider today contains a few minor changes to the House-passed legislation made in the other body and is equally deserving of support.

As we have heard, this legislation is needed to address a very narrow, very specific concern. At issue is the fact that some airline personnel are subject to a unique scheduling process in which they are paid for being on-call, but in some cases are not credited with those hours in the calculation used for Family and Medical Leave Act eligibility. The practical impact of this technicality is that some flight crew personnel may work a full-time schedule but fail to qualify for family and medical leave. This is a real concern for those grappling with health conditions or family obligations.

Many Members have been uneasy about efforts to open up the Family and Medical Leave Act for small changes when it is clear that broader reforms are necessary. The FMLA has worked well for 16 years, offering workers the flexibility to tend to their own health or care for a loved one in their time of need without fear of losing their job. But despite the law's many successes, it has also become clear that changes are needed. The realities of today's workplaces are different from those of a decade and a half ago. Courts have offered evolving interpretations, and, as is often the case with such a sweeping change to employment law, there have been unintended consequences for both employers and employees.

I know the majority has worked with Members on our side of the aisle to craft legislation carefully and avoid some of the pitfalls that could come with piecemeal reform of FMLA. I want to thank them for ensuring this bill does exactly what it intends, no more and no less. The bill before us today, in fact, clarifies further several narrow points contained in the House-passed bill and ensures that these are truly technical corrections.

I hope Members will join me in supporting this bill and sending it to the President for his signature.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

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