,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aedi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bj1      
#bjai,mr4 ,tester introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,health1 
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend the ,family and       
,medical ,leave ,act of #aiic to ensure 
that employees on leave under the ,act  
maintain health coverage during an      
employer lockout4  #a4 ,short title     
,this ,act may be cited as the ,labor   
,leave ,act4  #b4 ,maintenance of       
employee benefits during an employer    
lockout  7a7 ,coverage ,section         
#ajd7;c77#a7 of the ,family and ,medical
 ,leave ,act of #aiic 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4    
#bfad7;c77#a77 is amended-- 7#a7 by     
striking ,except and inserting the      
following3  7,a7 ,in general ,except  2 
7#b7 by striking the period and         
inserting and shall maintain the        
coverage in a situation in which the    
employer engages in a lockout during the

 leave period42 and  7#c7 by adding at  
the end the following3  7,b7 ,changes in
 health benefits or plans ,except with  
respect to a change that results from a 
lockout described in subparagraph 7,a7--
 7i7 if an employer provides a new      
health plan or benefits or changes a    
health plan or benefits while an        
employee is on leave under section #ajb1
 the employee is entitled to the new or 
changed plan or benefits to the same    
extent as the employee would be if the  
employee were not on leave2 and  7ii7   
any change to a health plan1 such as a  
change in coverage or to a premium or   
deductible1 that applies to all         
employees of the employer's workforce on
 that plan1 also applies to an employee 
enrolled under the plan and on leave    
under section #ajb4  7,c7 ,definition   
,in this paragraph1 the term lockout    
means a labor dispute involving a work  
stoppage1 in which an employer withholds
 work from its employees in order to    
gain a concession from the employees4  4

  #c4 ,effective date  7a7 ,in general  
,this ,act1 including the amendment made
 by this ,act1 takes effect on the date 
of enactment of this ,act4  7b7         
,regulations ,not later than #abj days  
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,secretary of ,labor shall    
issue amended regulations under title ,i
 of the ,family and ,medical ,leave ,act
 of #aiic 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #bfaa et seq471
 taking into account the amendments made
 by this ,act4