U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) has joined Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) in introducing federal legislation aimed at providing parental leave and financial support to parents following a miscarriage or stillbirth.
The proposed legislation, titled the Helping with Equal Access to Leave and Investing in Needs for Grieving Mothers and Fathers Act (HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act), seeks to amend the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) so that the spontaneous loss of an unborn child would qualify as a medical condition eligible for FMLA leave. The bill also includes provisions for a tax credit available to women who experience the loss of a child during pregnancy.
“It has taken policymakers too long to recognize that parents should be allowed time to heal following a miscarriage or stillbirth. The loss of a child is devastating and heartbreaking for families, and this legislation formally acknowledges their need for time following such a loss,” Hyde-Smith said.
“This bill will make sure families receive the resources they need to help recover from the unexpected loss of a child. No amount of money can replace such a loss, but the legislation will make sure parents have time to begin the recovery process,” Cotton stated.
Supporters of the HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act include SBA Pro-Life America and the National Right to Life Committee. Among its measures, the act would establish a refundable tax credit for mothers or couples who suffer a stillbirth. The bill is modeled after “Paisley’s Law,” an Arkansas state law named in memory of a lawmaker’s granddaughter.
