H.R. 8207

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8207 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8207

To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to provide leave 
because of the death of a son or daughter, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 6, 2026

Mr. Schneider (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Beyer, and Mr. Casten) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight 
and Government Reform, and House Administration, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to provide leave 
because of the death of a son or daughter, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Parental Bereavement Act of 2026'' 
or the ``Sarah Grace-Farley-Kluger-Barklage Act''.

SEC. 2. FAMILY LEAVE BECAUSE OF THE DEATH OF A SON OR DAUGHTER.

(a) Son or Daughter.--Section 101(12) of the Family and Medical 
Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2611(12)) is amended by--
(1) redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses (i) 
and (ii), resepctively;
(2) by striking ``, who is--'' and inserting the following:
``(A) who is--''; and
(3) in clause (ii), as so redesignated, by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ``; or
``(B) with respect to leave taken under section 
102(a)(1)(G), who is any years of age.''.
(b) Family Leave.--
(1) Entitlement to leave.--Section 102(a)(1) of the Family 
and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2612(a)(1)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(G) Because of the death of a son or daughter.''.
(2) Expiration of entitlement.--Section 102(a)(2) of such 
Act (29 U.S.C. 2612(a)(2)) is amended--
(A) by striking ``under subparagraphs'' and 
inserting ``under--
``(A) subparagraphs'';
(B) in subparagraph (A), as so redesignated, by 
striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and
``(B) subparagraph (G) of paragraph (1) for a death 
of a son or daughter shall expire at the end of the 12-
month period beginning on the date of such death.''.
(3) Requirements relating to leave.--
(A) Schedule.--Section 102(b)(1) of such Act (29 
U.S.C. 2612(b)(1)) is amended by inserting after the 
third sentence the following new sentence: ``Leave 
under subsection (a)(1)(G) shall not be taken by an 
employee intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule 
unless the employee and the employer of the employee 
agree otherwise.''.
(B) Substitution of paid leave.--Section 
102(d)(2)(B) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2612(d)(2)(B)) is 
amended, in the first sentence, by striking ``(C) or 
(D)'' and inserting ``(C), (D), or (G)''.
(C) Notice.--Section 102(e) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 
2612(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph:
``(4) Notice for leave due to death of a son or daughter.--
In any case in which the necessity for leave under subsection 
(a)(1)(G) is foreseeable, the employee shall provide such 
notice to the employer as is reasonable and practicable.''.
(D) Spouses employed by same employer.--Section 
102(f)(1)(A) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2612(f)(1)(A)) is 
amended by striking ``subparagraph (A) or (B)'' and 
inserting ``subparagraph (A), (B), or (G)''.
(E) Certification requirements.--Section 103 of 
such Act (29 U.S.C. 2613) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:
``(g) Certification Related to the Death of a Son or Daughter.--An 
employer may require that a request for leave under section 
102(a)(1)(G) be supported by a certification issued at such time and in 
such manner as the Secretary may by regulation prescribe. If the 
Secretary issues a regulation requiring such certification, the 
employee shall provide, in a timely manner, a copy of such 
certification to the employer.''.
(F) Failure to return from leave.--Section 104(c) 
of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2614(c)) is amended--
(i) in paragraph (2)(B)(i), by inserting 
before the semicolon the following: ``, or a 
death that entitles the employee to leave under 
section 102(a)(1)(G)''; and
(ii) in paragraph (3)(A)--
(I) in the matter preceding clause 
(i), by inserting ``, or the death,'' 
before ``described'';
(II) in clause (ii), by striking 
``or'' at the end;
(III) by redesignating clause (iii) 
as clause (iv); and
(IV) by inserting after clause (ii) 
the following:
``(iii) a certification that meets such 
requirements as the Secretary may by regulation 
prescribe, in the case of an employee unable to 
return to work because of a death specified in 
section 102(a)(1)(G); or''.
(G) Employees of local educational agencies.--
Section 108 of such Act (29 U.S.C. 2618) is amended--
(i) in subsection (c)(1)--
(I) in the matter preceding 
subparagraph (A), by inserting after 
``medical treatment'' the following: 
``, or under section 102(a)(1)(G) that 
is foreseeable,''; and
(II) in subparagraph (A), by 
inserting after ``to exceed'' the 
following: ``(except in the case of 
leave under section 102(a)(1)(G))'';
(ii) in subsection (c)(2), by striking 
``section 102(e)(2)'' and inserting 
``paragraphs (2) and (4) of section 102(e), as 
applicable''; and
(iii) in subsection (d), in paragraph (2) 
and (3), by striking ``or (C)'' each place it 
appears and inserting ``(C), or (G)''.
(c) Family Leave for Civil Service Employees.--
(1) Son or daughter.--Section 6381(6) of title 5, United 
States Code, is amended--
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as 
clauses (i) and (ii), respectively;
(B) by striking ``, who is--'' and inserting the 
following:
``(A) who is--''; and
(C) in clause (ii), as so redesignated, by striking 
``disability;'' and inserting ``disability; or
``(B) with respect to leave taken under section 
6382(a)(1)(F), who is any years of age;''.
(2) Entitlement to leave.--Section 6382(a)(1) of such title 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(F) Because of the death of a son or daughter.''.
(3) Expiration of leave.--Section 6382(a)(2) of such title 
is amended by--
(A) striking ``under subparagraph'' and inserting 
``under--
``(A) subparagraph''; and
(B) in subparagraph (A), as so redesignated, by 
striking the period at the end and inserting ``; or
``(B) subparagraph (F) of paragraph (1) for a death 
of a son or daughter shall expire at the end of the 12-
month period beginning on the date of such death.''.
(4) Requirements relating to leave.--
(A) Schedule.--Section 6382(b)(1) of such title is 
amended by inserting after the third sentence the 
following new sentence: ``Leave under subsection 
(a)(1)(F) shall not be taken by an employee 
intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule unless 
the employee and the employing agency of the employee 
agree otherwise.''.
(B) Substitution of paid leave.--Section 6382(d) of 
such title is amended, in the first sentence, by 
striking ``or (E)'' and inserting ``(E), or (F)''.
(C) Notice.--Section 6382(e) of such title is 
amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
``(4) In any case in which the necessity for leave under subsection 
(a)(1)(F) is foreseeable, the employee shall provide such notice to the 
employing agency as is reasonable and practicable.''.
(D) Certification requirements.--Section 6383 of 
such title is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
``(g) An employing agency may require that a request for leave 
under section 6382(a)(1)(F) be supported by a certification issued at 
such time and in such manner as the Office of Personnel Management may 
by regulation prescribe. If the Office issues a regulation requiring 
such certification, the employee shall provide, in a timely manner, a 
copy of such certification to the employer.''.
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