Senator Jon Tester has introduced legislation to protect grieving parents from losing their jobs in the event of their child’s death.
Tester’s Parental Bereavement Act would amend the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to give parents up to 12 weeks of unpaid, but job-protected, time off of work to cope with the death of a child.

“The scariest thought for any parent is having to bury their child, and they shouldn’t face losing their livelihood on top of that,” Tester said.  “Updating the law to give parents time to grieve is long overdue, and we owe it to them to pass this bill.”

Tester’s bill is supported by The American Counseling Association, the American Sustainable Business Council and the Farley-Kluger Initiative, a movement to amend FMLA to include parental bereavement.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 3,000 American children between the ages of one and 14 die suddenly each year from accidents.

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