Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced she secured $1 million through a government funding bill to help increase awareness of and inform employers on her Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Tax Credit.

"Since establishing the nation's first-ever Paid Family and Medical Leave policy, employers of all sizes have been able to offer paid leave to their workers," Fischer said. "I'm pleased to have secured this funding to increase awareness of and inform employers on this valuable tax credit. This is a much-needed step to ensure hard working Americans can take leave from work to care for a newborn or aging parent without sacrificing a paycheck or their job."

Background :

Fischer's provision in the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill directs the Small Business Administration to inform employers about the availability of her Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit. This includes targeted communications, education, training, and technical assistance.

Fischer's work on Paid Family and Medical Leave :

• Fischer and Sen. Angus King (I-ME) established the nation's first-ever nationwide PFML policy, which was included in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
• Fischer and King reintroduced the bill in February 2025, which builds upon the 2017 law to better serve working families.
• In 2025, the Working Families Tax Cuts included Fischer and King's bill, which made the tax credit permanent.