(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A teenager was the spark behind a bill signed into law Thursday by Governor JB Pritzker and now there are more people in Illinois eligible to take bereavement leave.
From now on, Illinoisans will be eligible for unpaid leave over miscarriages, failed adoptions, and unsuccessful reproductive procedures. The idea for the bill came from now-17-year old Kyra Jagodzinski who works as a volunteer for State Senator Melinda Bush.
“Over my life, I watched as my parents struggled with the loss of family, and saw people close to me struggle with fertility challenges and pregnancy loss,” said Jagodzinski.
“As a 17-year-old, I did my best to comfort them but found a system that left them without support. The Act provides Illinois residents with time to grieve the loss of immediate family members and to-be family members.
The Family Bereavement Act requires Illinois employers to allow workers to take two weeks of unpaid leave if they need time to grieve one of those losses.
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