Sarah Grace-Farley-Kluger-Barklage Act

Key Points

• This bill adds the death of a son or daughter as a new qualifying reason to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Currently, parents can take FMLA leave to care for a seriously ill child but have no protected leave if that child dies.
• The leave applies to the death of a child of any age, not just minor children. Current FMLA rules generally define a "son or daughter" as under 18 or an adult with a disability, but this bill removes that limit for bereavement leave specifically.
• Parents have up to 12 months from the date of their child's death to use the leave. After that one-year window, the entitlement expires.
• The leave must generally be taken all at once rather than in separate blocks, unless the employee and employer agree to intermittent or reduced-schedule leave. Employers can also require certification (proof) of the death.
• The bill covers both private-sector workers already eligible for FMLA and federal government civil service employees, ensuring parallel protections across the workforce.