LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Have strong feelings about paid family leave? The U.S. Department Of Labor wants to hear about it.

A form requesting comments about paid family and medical leave from the public went live this week.

The Request for Information was published to gather information about the effectiveness about current state and employer-provided paid leave programs, and how access or lack of access to paid leave programs impacts workers and their families. The Department of Labor says the information will help them identify promising practices related to eligibility requirements, related costs and administrative models of existing paid leave programs.

Currently, the Family and Medical Leave Act provides certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. The law does not apply to companies with fewer than 50 employees, or to employees who have worked less than 12 months or 1,250 hours before taking leave. California is just one of eight states in the nation, along with Washington D.C., that require paid family leave.

Comments can be submitted to federalregister.gov until Sept. 14.