I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 983 
To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to provide leave 
because of the death of a son or daughter. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 5, 2019 
Mr. SCHNEIDER (for himself, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. WEBSTER of Flor-
ida, Mr. BEYER, and Mr. COOK) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to 
the Committees on Oversight and 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 com-
mittee 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Parental Bereavement 
Act of 2019’’ or the ‘‘Sarah Grace-Farley-Kluger Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FAMILY LEAVE BECAUSE OF THE DEATH OF A SON 
OR DAUGHTER. 
(a) FAMILY LEAVE.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:20 Feb 15, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H983.IH
H983
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
(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: 
‘‘(F) Because of the death of a son or 
daughter.’’. 
(2) 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)(F) 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.—Sec-
tion 102(d)(2)(B) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 
2612(d)(2)(B)) is amended, in the first sen-
tence, by striking ‘‘(C) or (D)’’ and inserting 
‘‘(C), (D), or (F)’’. 
(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 ne-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:20 Feb 15, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H983.IH
H983
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
cessity for leave under subsection (a)(1)(F) is fore-
seeable, the employee shall provide such notice to the 
employer as is reasonable and practicable.’’. 
(D) SPOUSES
EMPLOYED
BY
SAME
EM-
PLOYER.—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 ‘‘sub-
paragraph (A), (B), or (F)’’. 
(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)(F) be supported 
by a certification issued at such time and in such manner 
as the Secretary may by regulation prescribe. If the Sec-
retary 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 insert-
ing before the semicolon the following: ‘‘, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:20 Feb 15, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H983.IH
H983
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
or a death that entitles the employee to 
leave under section 102(a)(1)(F)’’; and 
(ii) in paragraph (3)(A)— 
(I) in the matter preceding clause 
(i), by inserting ‘‘, or the death,’’ be-
fore ‘‘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 reg-
ulation prescribe, in the case of an em-
ployee unable to return to work because of 
a death specified in section 102(a)(1)(F); 
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 sub-
paragraph (A), by inserting after 
‘‘medical treatment’’ the following: ‘‘, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:20 Feb 15, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H983.IH
H983
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS