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The bill gives grieving parents concrete job protection, paid‑leave options, and a refundable stillbirth tax credit, but it creates privacy and administrative burdens, eligibility gaps for some families, and modest fiscal and employer costs.
Employees who experience a spontaneous loss of an unborn child gain a clear, job‑protected FMLA leave right, so pregnant people and parents can take leave without fear of losing their jobs.
Parents/families who suffer a stillbirth receive a refundable tax credit equal to the child tax credit for the year, providing direct financial relief especially to those with low or no income tax liability.
Employees (including federal workers) may take intermittent or reduced‑schedule leave when medically necessary, allowing phased recovery and medical care without losing job protection.
Employees (including federal workers) must usually obtain a healthcare‑provider certification, which can impose time, cost, and privacy burdens and may deter or burden grieving people seeking leave.
Certification and notice requirements could delay access to urgent leave if timely documentation is hard to obtain, harming employees who need immediate recovery or medical care.
Families without an SSA-issued Social Security number or in states that do not routinely issue a stillbirth certificate may be ineligible or face barriers to claiming the refundable credit.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Introduced September 16, 2025 by Ashley Hinson · Last progress September 16, 2025
Creates a new, job‑protected leave reason for people who experience a spontaneous loss of an unborn child (for themselves or their spouse) by amending FMLA rules for private‑sector and federal employees; allows intermittent or reduced‑schedule leave when medically necessary, permits substitution of paid leave, and lets employers require a health‑care provider certification. It also creates a new refundable federal tax credit, equal to the child tax credit amount, for taxpayers who suffer a stillbirth and who obtain a state certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth. The leave changes add notice and certification rules and mirror existing FMLA procedures for taking and documenting leave. The tax credit is available for taxable years beginning after enactment and requires Social Security number documentation on the tax return.