# 119-hr-8207: Parental Bereavement Act of 2026

119-hr-8207, Parental Bereavement Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10] (D-IL); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8207
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8207
- Congress: 119
- Title: Parental Bereavement Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-04-06
- Sponsor: Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10] (D-IL)
- Cosponsors: 8
- Policy area: Labor and Employment
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**A federal right to bereavement leave for parents** would let workers take job-protected time off after the death of a son or daughter. The bill would add a new Family and Medical Leave Act entitlement that lasts for 12 months from the date of death, limits intermittent or reduced-schedule use without employer agreement, allows substitution of paid leave, and permits certification if regulations require it. - Families and parents: Parents could take job-protected leave after a child's death for up to 12 months and could use or substitute existing paid leave for that entitlement. - Private-sector employees: Employees eligible under the Family and Medical Leave Act would need to give notice when leave is foreseeable and could not take intermittent or reduced schedules without employer consent. - Federal workers and school staff: Civil service rules would mirror the change so federal employees gain the same bereavement right and agencies could require certification under Office of Personnel Management rules. Local educational agency employees would receive matching protections and notice requirements.

## Cosponsors (8)

- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2026-04-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8] (D-VA), 2026-04-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6] (D-IL), 2026-04-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7] (D-IL), 2026-04-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7] (D-AZ), 2026-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] (D-FL), 2026-04-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. LaLota, Nick [R-NY-1] (R-NY), 2026-08-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3] (D-NY), 2026-09-01T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Employer and school leave rules: cost, low. If enacted, employers could require certification for death-related FMLA leave only if the Secretary issues rules. Federal agencies could require similar certification only if OPM issues rules. If the Secretary or OPM requires certification, employees must provide it in a timely manner. The bill wo…
- Bereavement leave for child loss: mixed, medium. If enacted, you would be able to take FMLA or federal civil service leave because of the death of a son or daughter. The bill would treat a son or daughter as "any years of age", so adult children are included. You would have this death-related leave only during the 12 months after the date of deat…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-2086: Rights for the TSA Workforce Act
- 119-hr-2736: Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3112: Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2671: Tax Fairness for Workers Act
- 119-hr-2550: Protect America's Workforce Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-8207 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8207)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-2086: Rights for the TSA Workforce Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2086)
- [119-hr-2736: Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2736)
- [119-hr-3112: Better CARE for Animals Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3112)
- [119-hr-2671: Tax Fairness for Workers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2671)
- [119-hr-2550: Protect America's Workforce Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2550)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8207 (as of 2026-09-21).