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Arizona Bill To Give Grieving Parents Extended Time Off

No parent should outlive their child, but if they do, employers are not required to allow time off to grieve.

Right now, the Family Medical Leave Act protects employees’ jobs if they need extended time off to care for an ill family member or when they give birth or adopt a child. 

On Thursday, Arizona Congress members Paul Gosar and Martha McSally announced their bipartisan bill to federally protect grieving parents.  McSally says it doesn’t make sense to protect an employee for 12 weeks when they welcome a child into the world, but only five days if a child dies.

“We’ve got to make this right for those people who have gone through this horrific experience of losing their child, either suddenly or after a long illness, and provide them this opportunity to be protected in their jobs as they’re grieving," McSally said.

Lawmakers have previously tried to pass a similar bill. McSally says, this year, because it has bipartisan support they are optimistic it will pass.

Holliday Moore was a reporter at KJZZ from 2017 to 2020.