BILL NUMBER: S4468
SPONSOR: MAYER
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the workers' compensation law, in relation to providing
family leave to persons recovering from the unintended intrauterine
death of a fetus that occurs after the clinical estimate of the twenti-
eth week of gestation
 
PURPOSE:
This bill would extend paid family leave benefits to someone who is
recovering from the unintended intrauterine death of a fetus that occurs
after the clinical estimate of the twentieth week of gestation, commonly
referred to as a stillbirth.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends subdivision 15 of section 201 of the workers' compen-
sation law by adding new paragraph c to include within the definition of
paid family leave, recovering from the unintended intrauterine death of
a fetus that occurs after the clinical estimate of the twentieth week of
gestation.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
For thousands of women in New York, stillbirth is a personal and heart-
breaking issue. The CDC estimates that over 1,200 stillbirths occur each
year in New York State.' In the United States, stillbirth occurs in
about 1 in 160 births, resulting in about 24,000 stillborn births each
year.' The loss of a baby due to a stillbirth remains a tragic reality
for many and takes a serious mental and physical toll on expectant
parents and their family.
Family leave benefits would help to ensure that all women who have just
given birth will be able to seek treatment and get the care they need.
Allowing families the time to grieve and come to terms with a life-al-
tering loss is critical to the healing process. By including stillbirth
within paid family leave, this legislation will give women and their
families who suffer from a stillbirth the same protection and benefits
under the law as someone who has had a live birth.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
(2023-2024) : S9388/A9635A Referred to Labor; referred to Labor in the
Assembly
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately
'CDC statistics
'CDC statistics
'CDC statistics