On February 2, 2022, the Senate passed S.B. 63 Bereavement Leave Amendments, sponsored by Sen. Harper. Influenced by the concerns of family, friends and his constituents, this bill extends Utah’s current three-day paid bereavement leave to mothers and fathers who experience miscarriage or stillbirth. State, county and municipal governments will now be required to provide paid bereavement leave to these employees just as they have previously done for employees who have lost immediate family members in any other circumstances.
The bill acknowledges miscarriages and stillbirths as tragic losses in hopes that parents will be given time to begin the processes of grieving and healing. S.B. 63 will be the first bereavement amendment of its kind in the United States.