We, the undersigned bereaved parents, alongside our extended families, friends, and New Jersey community members, call on the State Legislature to introduce and pass Scottie’s Law, dedicated  legislation granting parents up to 12 weeks of independent, job-protected leave following the loss of a specifically for the loss of a living, dependent child- without losing job security if medical caretaking leave was previously used.

Current New Jersey proposals (A3505/S2978) offer only brief 7-day windows and fail to protect parents who have exhausted their New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA) time while caring for a critically ill child. We demand legislation that guarantees up to 12 weeks of independent, standalone job protection and Family Leave Insurance (FLI) access following the death of a child—without deducting time from prior caretaking leave.