Guaranteed Paid Vacation Act

The Guaranteed Paid Vacation Act would require most employers to provide paid annual leave to their employees. Employees would earn 1 hour of paid leave for every 25 hours worked, up to 80 hours (10 workdays) per 12-month period, though employers could offer more. Leave could be used for any reason, would carry over up to 40 hours into the next year, and would have to be paid out if an employee's job ends. Employers would have to notify employees of their leave policy, track accrued leave, and could only limit or deny leave requests for a "bona fide business reason," subject to notice and alternative-scheduling requirements.

The bill covers private employers with 20 or more employees on the payroll in a given year, along with many government employers (such as the Government Accountability Office, the Library of Congress, and other public agencies) and their employees, including certain federal, state, and congressional workers. It excludes leave already required under other laws, such as family/medical leave, sick leave, or holidays. Employers who interfere with these rights or retaliate against employees who use or seek this leave would be subject to enforcement action, including a private right of action for damages and equitable relief, and Department of Labor investigative authority.

The bill was introduced in the Senate on August 6, 2026, by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) with several cosponsors, and was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. It would need to be approved by that committee, then pass the full Senate and House, and be signed by the President before becoming law.

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