A bill heard in an Assembly hearing Thursday afternoon would allow parents grieving the loss of a child following a stillbirth or miscarriage to take family leave from their job.

According to the text of the bill, an employee may take family leave granted by the New Jersey Family Leave Act to “grieve the loss of a child due to the death of the child, or miscarriage, stillbirth, or termination of a pregnancy for medical reasons.”

The bill also permits leave due to an unsuccessful adoption that had been pending and planned by the employee or due to an unsuccessful fertility treatment.

The bill limits leave and benefits for bereavement as follows: (1) For bereavement related to a circumstance for which the employee would not otherwise be eligible for any other kind of disability and family leave and benefits, the employee may take leave and benefits, depending on the circumstances, for not more than 21 days immediately following the date of the event which is the reason for the bereavement.

(2) For bereavement related to a circumstance for which the employee would be otherwise eligible for disability or family leave or benefits, depending on the circumstances, the employee may take leave and benefits for not more than seven days immediately following the date of the event which is the reason for the bereavement.