H.R. 4582: To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and title 5, United States Code, to clarify that organ donation surgery qualifies as a serious health condition.
Sponsor
Don Bacon
Republican · NE-2
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Jul 22, 2025
Referred to Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. for review
Organ donors deserve protected time to recover
Why it matters
You can take up to 12 weeks of FMLA leave, but H.R. 4582 says organ donation surgery recovery should be clearly included in that protection. For federal workers, it also requires using existing organ donor leave first when available.
H.R. 4582 does not create a brand-new national leave program. Instead, it makes an explicit change to leave law so recovery from organ donation surgery is treated as a serious health condition under FMLA.
That matters because FMLA is the federal law that gives eligible workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. This bill says organ donors recovering from surgery should not have to rely on interpretation or employer guesswork to fit within that framework.
The bill applies that same clarification to federal civil service employees. If you work for the federal government, your recovery from organ donation surgery would also be expressly recognized under the federal leave rules that mirror FMLA.
There is one added rule for federal workers: if you are using leave connected to organ donation, H.R. 4582 says you must use available federal organ donor leave first for as much of that time as possible. So the bill gives clearer coverage, but it also steers federal employees into the specialized leave benefit that already exists.
H.R. 4582 Bill Summary
What H.R. 4582 actually does.
Organ donation recovery is explicitly covered
H.R. 4582 says recovery from surgery related to organ donation counts as a serious health condition under FMLA, making that protection explicit for eligible private-sector workers.
Federal workers get the same clear leave protection
The bill makes the same clarification for federal civil service employees, so organ donation surgery recovery is expressly recognized under federal family and medical leave rules.
The 12-week leave cap stays the same
The bill fits organ donation recovery into the existing leave framework. It does not add extra weeks beyond the 12 weeks already available under FMLA.
Federal employees must use organ donor leave first
If a federal employee takes leave connected to serving as an organ donor, the bill requires using available federal organ donor leave for as much of that time as possible before relying on FMLA-style leave.
Who benefits from H.R. 4582?
People considering living organ donation
If you're thinking about donating a kidney or part of an organ, H.R. 4582 is designed to make your recovery time easier to plan by stating clearly that surgery recovery belongs inside protected medical leave.
Private-sector workers covered by FMLA
Eligible workers in the private sector would get clearer job-protected leave rights during recovery, without having to argue that organ donation surgery should count under a general medical definition.
Federal employees who become organ donors
Federal workers would get the same explicit recognition for recovery time, while also being directed to use the government's existing organ donor leave benefit first when available.
HR departments and leave administrators
Employers and agencies would get a clearer rule to follow, which could reduce disputes over whether organ donation recovery qualifies for protected leave.
Who is affected by H.R. 4582?
Workers recovering from organ donation surgery
These workers are the direct focus of the bill. Their recovery would be expressly named in leave law instead of being left to interpretation.
Private employers covered by FMLA
Covered employers would need to treat organ donation surgery recovery as an expressly recognized serious health condition when handling leave requests.
Federal agencies
Agencies would need to apply both parts of the bill: the clearer coverage for recovery time and the rule that available organ donor leave must be used first when possible.
Federal employees using leave for donation and recovery
They would gain clearer protection, but they would also have to switch into existing organ donor leave for as much of the leave period as possible if that leave is available.
HR4582 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Jul 22, 2025
Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
About the Sponsor
Don Bacon
Republican, Nebraska's 2nd congressional district · 9 years in Congress
Committees: Agriculture, Armed Services
View full profile →
Cosponsors (151)
This bill has 151 cosponsors: 117 Democrats, 34 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 41 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, and 38 more.
Jerrold Nadler
Democrat · NY
Troy Balderson
Republican · OH
Jim Costa
Democrat · CA
Mariannette Miller-Meeks
Republican · IA
Joe Wilson
Republican · SC
Andy Barr
Republican · KY
Lloyd Doggett
Democrat · TX
Herbert Conaway
Democrat · NJ
Jennifer McClellan
Democrat · VA
Mike Quigley
Democrat · IL
Yvette Clarke
Democrat · NY
Jesús García
Democrat · IL
Cosponsor Coverage Map
Committee Sponsors
Committee on House Administration
4 of 12 committee members cosponsored
Oversight and Government Reform Committee
12 of 47 committee members cosponsored
Education and Workforce Committee
10 of 36 committee members cosponsored
44 Republicans across these committees haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 4582 Quick Facts
- Committee
- House Administration
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Health
- Introduced
- Jul 22, 2025
Referred to Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. for review
Jul 22, 2025
Official Sources
Official Congress.gov page for the bill, including status, text, sponsors, and actions.
Official Department of Labor overview of FMLA, the main private-sector leave law H.R. 4582 amends.
Federal regulations implementing FMLA, useful for understanding how serious health condition rules are administered.
Official U.S. Code section containing the FMLA definitions provision that H.R. 4582 would amend for private-sector workers.
Office of Personnel Management guidance on family and medical leave for federal employees, directly relevant to the bill's civil service provisions.
Official U.S. Code section for federal organ donor leave that the bill references when requiring substitution of available donor leave.
Official federal employee leave definitions section that H.R. 4582 would amend to explicitly include organ donation surgery recovery.
Official U.S. Code section governing federal employee family and medical leave, including the subsection the bill would change to require use of donor leave first.
H.R. 4582 Common Questions
Does H.R. 4582 make organ donation recovery count under FMLA?
Yes. H.R. 4582 says recovery from surgery related to organ donation counts as a serious health condition under FMLA.
Would this bill give organ donors more than 12 weeks of leave?
No. H.R. 4582 fits organ donation recovery into the existing FMLA system. The 12-week limit stays the same.
Does H.R. 4582 apply to private-sector workers?
Yes, if you already work for an employer covered by FMLA and meet FMLA eligibility rules. The bill clarifies that organ donation recovery is covered.
Does H.R. 4582 also cover federal employees?
Yes. H.R. 4582 adds the same organ donation recovery language to the federal leave rules used for civil service employees.
Do federal workers have to use organ donor leave before FMLA-style leave?
Yes. H.R. 4582 says federal employees must use available organ donor leave for as much of that time as possible when the leave is tied to organ donation.
Does H.R. 4582 create paid leave for organ donors nationwide?
No. The bill does not create a new national paid leave program. It clarifies coverage under existing leave law.
Why does H.R. 4582 matter if some organ donors can already use medical leave?
Because the bill removes ambiguity. Instead of relying on interpretation, it states directly that recovery from organ donation surgery qualifies.
Based on H.R. 4582 bill text
H.R. 4582 Bill Text
“To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and title 5, United States Code, to clarify that organ donation surgery qualifies as a serious health condition.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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