Postpartum Health and Workforce Protection

 

The purpose of this act is to extend the guaranteed postpartum leave period from three (3) months to six (6) months in

order to support maternal recovery, infant development, and long term family wellbeing.

 

Medical research demonstrates that postpartum recovery frequently extends beyond three months, and that longer recovery

periods reduce health complications for both parent and child. Extending postpartum leave to six months strengthens

maternal mental health, reduces rates of postpartum depression, and improves infant development outcomes. For employers

the increased leave improves things such as employee retention and reduces turnover costs which range from 50 to 200% of

an employee’s annual salary.

 

“Postpartum leave” means guaranteed job protected leave granted to an employee following childbirth to recover and bond

with their newborn

“Job protected leave” means leave during which the employee retains the right to return to the same or equivalent

position without loss of benefits

 

Funding for the implementation of this Act will be provided through federal appropriations to the Department of Labor.

Additional grants may be made available to small businesses demonstrating financial hardship.

 

Following this bill the penalty of an employer not providing their employees with proper Postpartum Health and Workforce

Protection will be fined a tenth of their annual income.

 

This bill will come into effect April 2026