HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act

HR 5397, the HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act, expands paid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to cover "spontaneous loss of an unborn child" (unplanned pregnancy loss not from a purposeful act). This affects private-sector employees and federal workers, allowing them to take up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave for this reason, with provisions for intermittent leave when medically necessary. The bill also creates a refundable tax credit for individuals who experienced a stillbirth (defined as spontaneous fetal death before delivery), equal to the amount of the existing section 24 credit, to help offset related expenses. These changes directly impact employees seeking leave for pregnancy loss and taxpayers who suffered stillbirths, adding specific eligibility criteria and certification requirements to both provisions.