Change the maternity leave laws to allow women to receive 12 weeks of paid maternity leave.

Currently, the maternity leave laws in the US allow women to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, and that is only if they qualify for the Family and Medical Leave Act. Most employers grant only 6 weeks of maternity leave, and it is only paid if the woman has the accrued leave to cover her absence. Most households cannot afford the unpaid time off, and returning to work after only 6 weeks causes stress on the mother and the infant. Changing the leave to 12 weeks and mandating that it be paid not only greatly reduces the stress to mother and child and the hardship on the families, but also greatly reduces additional absences once the woman returns to work.