,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cfci  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #i1 #bjai,ms4  
,houlahan introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 ,foreign ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to      
direct the ,secretary of ,state to      
establish a standard parental leave     
policy applicable to ,department of     
,state employees1 and for other         
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,standardizing      
,state ,department ,parental ,leave     
,act4  #b4 ,standardizing ,department   
parental leave policies  7a7 ,purpose   
,the purpose of this ,act is to--  7#a7 
afford every employee at the ,department
 of ,state equal access to leave and    
workplace flexibilities for childbirth1 
adoption1 and foster care2  7#b7        
encourage the ,department to work       
towards a parental leave policy that    
will help recruit and retain a dynamic1 
multi-talented1 and diverse workforce   
capable of meeting the national security

 and foreign policy goals of the ,united
 ,states2 and  7#c7 determine the       
impacts of flexible leave policies on   
recruitment and retention rates4  7b7   
,establishing standard parental leave   
policies  7#a7 ,in general ,not later   
than #abj days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,state shall establish and implement 
a standard parental leave policy        
applicable to ,department of ,state     
employees across all bureaus and offices
 within the ,department and ,missions   
abroad4 ,nothing in this section shall  
be construed to provide any new category
 of leave not otherwise provided by law4
  7#b7 ,reports ,not later than #ahj    
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit  
to the appropriate congressional        
committees a report describing--  7,a7  
the steps taken to implement the policy 
required under paragraph 7#a7 across all
 bureaus and offices within the         
,department and ,missions abroad2 and   

7,b7 any costs associated with such     
policy4  7#c7 ,appropriate congressional
 committees ,for purposes of paragraph  
7#b71 the term appropriate congressional
 committees means--  7,a7 the ,committee
 on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate2 
7,b7 the ,committee on ,appropriations  
of the ,senate2  7,c7 the ,committee on 
,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of      
,representatives2 and  7,d7 the         
,committee on ,appropriations of the    
,house of ,representatives4