This bill amends New Jersey laws to expand the definition of "family leave" to include bereavement leave for the death or stillbirth of a child, miscarriage, or termination of a pregnancy for medical reasons. It allows employees to take up to 21 days of leave for bereavement events not covered by other leave types and up to 7 days for situations that qualify for family leave. The bill also modifies certification requirements, stating that for bereavement events, the certification only needs to indicate the date of the event, thereby reducing bureaucratic hurdles for employees during difficult times.

Additionally, the bill updates the Temporary Disability Benefits Law by clarifying definitions and eligibility criteria for "covered employers" and "covered individuals." It allows employers to elect to become "covered employers" for providing benefits during an employee's own disability, with the election lasting at least two years. The definition of "covered individual" is expanded to include state employees and those from governmental entities, with conditions regarding sick leave exhaustion. The bill also specifies that "disability" includes illnesses related to communicable diseases during a declared state of emergency and introduces provisions for family temporary disability leave, ensuring comprehensive support for employees facing family loss and reproductive health challenges.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 34:11B-3, 34:11B-4, 43:21-27