more than four times as many worksites covered by the FMLA reported positive effects on employee productivity, absenteeism, turnover, career advancement and morale, as well as the business’ profitability, as reported negative effects. (19) Californians have filed more than 2.1 million claims to leave to care for a family member or bond with a new child over more than a decade. In New Jersey, more than 217,000 claims have been filed over the more than 6 years of the program’s existence, and in Rhode Island, nearly 13,000 claims were filed in the programs first two years. These claims represent valuable care for new children and seriously ill loved ones. (20) Social Security is the Nation’s primary social insurance system, with the most complete record of workers’ earnings history. It provides retirement assistance and disability benefits currently and, since its creation in 1934, the programs the Social Security Administration administers have been updated multiple times to reflect the changing needs of the population, families and the workforce. The system needs to be changed again now—with appropriate investments to meet the agency’s needs—to reflect today’s realities. (21) Researchers at Brandeis University estimate that, following the enactment of this Act, the share of families falling into financial hardship (earnings below 200 percent of the Federal poverty line) as a result of taking 12 weeks of unpaid leave would be reduced by more than three-fourths. (b) Purpose It is the purpose of this Act— (1) to help working families, including single working parents and dual-earner families, afford to take time away from work to provide care for a family member and be good workers