PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania lawmakers Friday announced legislation that would ensure paid time off for people who experience pregnancy loss, failed infertility treatments, or a derailed adoption plan. The announcement came on a significant day.
The bill, which was introduced jointly in both the House and the Senate, was announced on Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.
“It’s the time when we try to raise awareness about the fact that unfortunately, this is much more common than people think," said State Senator Amanda Cappelletti (D-Delaware, Montgomery counties).
“It would be require employers to provide three days paid leave for anybody who experiences a pregnancy loss, which is defined in the bill as infertility treatments, it can be a lost adoption or it could be a miscarriage or a stillbirth.”
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Unfortunately, Cappelletti personally knows what it means to experience this loss.
“Literally in the span of two months, I had two miscarriages and you can know in your head all of the statistics in the world, but it still feels very isolating when you’re going through it.”
She explained she also hopes introduction of the bill will raise awareness.
“To know where to turn if they need help with grieving or coping or if they need medical support, or if they need to turn to infertility treatments or other things to help them start a family," she said.
A sister bill by State Representatives Liz Hanbidge (D-Montgomery County) and Melissa Shusterman (D-Chester, Montgomery counties) has been introduced in the House.
“When you have women at the table, The conversations inherently change," said Cappelletti.
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Cappelletti added that infertility and miscarriage know no political bounds.
“I have Republican support on my bill in the Senate, and I think that that’s really indicative of the fact that people are recognizing that this is an issue that affects all of us," she said.
“Really what I want to do," Cappelletti said, "is ensure that people that are struggling with these types of issues know that they are not alone.”
