U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) announced Wednesday her support for a bill providing parental leave and compensation to parents following a miscarriage or stillbirth.
Hyde-Smith joined Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) in introducing The Helping with Equal Access to Leave and Investing in Needs for Grieving Mothers and Fathers Act – being referred to on Capitol Hill as the HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act.
The bill, if passed and signed by the president, would amend the Family and Medical Leave Act to include the “spontaneous loss of an unborn child as a qualifying medical condition for FMLA leave.” It would also establish a tax credit for a woman who suffers the loss of a child in the womb.
“It has taken policymakers too long to recognize that parents should be allowed to heal following a miscarriage or stillbirth,” Hyde-Smith said. “The loss of a child is devastating and heartbreaking for families, and this legislation formally acknowledges their need for time following such a loss.”
Under the HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act, women and their spouses would be entitled to up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period for the loss of an unborn child. Compensation would come in the form of $3,600 refundable tax credit for families who experience a stillbirth.
A stillbirth certificate, provided by states in which the stillbirth happened, would be required to eligible for the tax credit.
The HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act is modeled after a law recently enacted in Cotton’s home state of Arkansas called “Paisley’s Law.” Named after a local lawmaker’s granddaughter who died before labor began, the bill allows Arkansas families who experience a stillbirth to receive a tax credit of up to $1,500.
“This bill will make sure families have the resources they need to help recover from the unexpected loss of a child,” Cotton said. “No amount of money can replace such a loss, but the legislation will make sure parents have time to begin the recovery process.”
