The HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act expands protections for employees who experience miscarriage or stillbirth. It adds these losses to the types of situations covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act, which already protects workers who need time off for serious health conditions, childbirth, or caring for family members.

Under this bill, employees would be able to take unpaid, job-protected leave when they experience a spontaneous loss of an unborn child (miscarriage) or stillbirth. They can take this leave all at once or in smaller chunks if medically necessary, and they only need to give their employer notice that's "reasonable and practicable" rather than following strict advance notice requirements. Employers can ask for medical certification from a healthcare provider to verify the loss, similar to what they can do for other medical leave.

The bill also creates a new tax credit for individuals who experience stillbirth. If you have a stillbirth and receive a state-issued certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth, you can claim a tax credit equal to the child tax credit amount (currently $2,000 per child). This applies to both private sector employees covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act and federal government employees. The changes take effect for tax years beginning after the bill becomes law.