Brazil’s Lower House Backs 20-Day Paternity Leave, Sends Scaled Plan to the Senate

Overview

• The Chamber of Deputies approved the amended PL 3.935/2008 by 377–50, sending the measure back to the Senate for a new vote.
• The plan begins in 2027 with 10 days for the first two years, then rises to 15 days and reaches 20 days only if the prior year’s LDO fiscal target is achieved.
• The bill creates a salário-paternidade paid by the INSS, reimbursing employers for CLT workers and paying directly to self-employed, domestic and other insured workers.
• The text permits splitting the leave into two periods, extends equal rights to adoptive parents, adds one-third more time for a child with a disability, and guarantees job stability until 30 days after return.
• Relator estimates put net fiscal costs at roughly R$3.3 billion in 2027, R$4.35 billion in 2028, and R$5.44 billion at full phase-in, with potential funding from Rearp revenues and cuts to tax benefits.