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Senate panel advances bill to expand bereavement and pregnancy‑loss leave after emotional testimony
Summary
The Senate Labor Committee voted to advance S2978, which would let workers take family leave or temporary disability leave for miscarriage, stillbirth, unsuccessful adoption or failed fertility treatment; advocates described traumatic personal stories and urged privacy protections.
The New Jersey Senate Labor Committee voted Dec. 5 to advance S2978, a bill that would let employees use Family Leave Act or family temporary disability benefits to grieve a pregnancy or infant loss, including miscarriage, stillbirth, termination for medical reasons, unsuccessful adoption and failed fertility treatments.
Advocates and bereaved parents delivered emotional testimony about the bill's impact. "If I had appropriate leave after my stillbirth in 02/2014, I believe I would have had more time to sufficiently grieve," said Stacy Denberg of the 2 Degrees Foundation, describing long-term mental‑health effects after losing her daughter.
Kristen Coulter, who said she lost a son at 21 weeks in January 2024, told the committee she had to exhaust sick leave and wait for FMLA to begin: "I did have disability insurance to use, but as you're aware, FMLA does not give you a full salary, and NJ school employees are not eligible for NJ TDI." She urged clearer, equitable access for public‑school employees.
Yara Wilman Cole of New Jersey Citizen Action urged amendments to simplify bereavement durations, to expand coverage beyond pregnancy loss to other loved‑one losses, and to avoid creating mandatory disclosures that could risk privacy for people who have miscarriages or terminations.
Elisa Frank of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association said her group moved from opposition to neutral after sponsor amendments, praising steps taken to address employer concerns while underscoring the need to balance employee supports and operational predictability.
Committee members noted the bill aligns with guidance from a 2019 New Jersey Supreme Court decision and the Law Revision Commission's work, and the committee moved S2978 (with conforming language to companion A3505) out of committee.
The bill now moves to the full Senate for further consideration.
