Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), American workers can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to welcome a new child into the world or to care for a seriously ill family member. But if that child dies — if parents have to plan a funeral, notify a school, sort through a bedroom, and somehow keep breathing — federal law guarantees them nothing. Not a single day.

That's the gap the Sarah Grace-Farley-Kluger-Barklage Act would close. First introduced in 2011 by Barry Kluger after the death of his daughter Erica, the bill has been reintroduced eight times over 15 years. It has never received a floor vote in the House or Senate. It is now back before Congress, introduced once again — this time by Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), a Democrat and a Republican working together, because grief does not belong to one party.

Right now, bereavement leave in the United States typically runs three to five days. That is not enough time to hold a funeral, let alone begin to grieve. Many workers are left using vacation days or personal time — if they have any — just to get through the worst week of their lives. Some have no options at all.

This bill would fix that. It would extend FMLA protections to cover the loss of a child, giving parents the time they need without the fear of losing their jobs. No working parent should ever have to choose between keeping their job and burying their child.

Fifteen years is long enough to wait. We urge Congress to bring the Sarah Grace-Farley-Kluger-Barklage Act to a floor vote and pass it into law.