BUT FIRST, WE TAKE A LOOK AT NEW   YORK'S PAID FAMILY LEAVE LAW.
WHEN NEW YORK FIRST PASSED PAID   FAMILY LEAVE IN 2016, THE   PROGRAM WAS CONSIDERED AMONG THE   MOST GENEROUS IN THE COUNTRY.
BUT SOME LAWMAKERS SAY IT STILL   DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH FOR   PARENTS GRIEVING THE LOSS OF   THEIR CHILD.
ALEXIS YOUNG REPORTS.
[ THEME MUSIC ]     NEW YORK STATE PAID FAMILY   LEAVE ALLOWS ELIGIBLE WORKERS TO   TAKE UP TO 12 WEEKS OFF WITHIN   ONE YEAR AT 67% OF THEIR PAY.
FOR THREE DIFFERENT ITEMS.
ONE IS FOR BONDING WITH NEWBORN   OR ADOPTED CHILD.
THE SECOND ONE IS TAKING-- BEING   THE MAIN CAREGIVER FOR A FAMILY   MEMBER WITH A SERIOUS HEALTH   CONDITION OR THE THIRD ITEM IS   WHAT'S CALLED MILITARY EXIGENCY   WHERE A MILITARY MEMBER OF THE   EMPLOYEE'S FAMILY HAS TO SERVE   OR HAS TO GO ON TOUR AND THE   EMPLOYEE CAN SPEND TIME WITH   THEM BEFORE THEY GO OUT ON   SERVICE.
MARTIN PATRICK IS THE 14   SENIOR HR CONSULTANT MANAGER AT   GTM PAYROLL IN HR.
AN HR DEPARTMENT IS FREQUENTLY   INVOLVED WHEN AN ELIGIBLE   EMPLOYEE APPLIES FOR PAID FAMILY   LEAVE.
PAID FAMILY LEAVE WAS PASSED IN   NEW YORK IN 2016.
THE PROGRAM WAS AMONG THE MOST   GENEROUS IN THE COUNTRY AT THE   TIME AND IT WAS EVEN   STRENGTHENED IN NOVEMBER 2021 TO   INCLUDE SIBLINGS, WHETHER THAT   BE HALF SIBLINGS, STEP SIBLINGS,   BIOLOGICAL OR ADOPTED.
STILL LAWMAKERS SAY THE LANGUAGE   IN WORKERS COMPENSATION LAWS,   SPECIFICALLY PAID FAMILY LEAVE,   HAS LEFT SOME NEW YORKERS IN   VULNERABLE POSITIONS.
THE PAID LEAVE IS   ADMINISTERED BY THE INSURANCE   COMPANY THAT THE EMPLOYER   CONTRACTS WITH.
SO IF THE INSURANCE COMPANY   RECEIVES NOTICE OF A CHILD IS   PASSED AWAY OR A RELATIVE HAS   PASSED AWAY THAT THE EMPLOYEE'S   TAKING CARE OF, THEY'RE GOING TO   REVOKE THE LEAVE.
IT'S UP TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY   TO DO THAT.
THIS CAN BE PARTICULARLY   TRYING FOR PREGNANT PEOPLE AND   FAMILIES WHO EXPERIENCE STILL   BIRTHS.
PUSH FOR EMPOWERED PREGNANCY IS   A STILL BIRTH AWARENESS AND   PREVENTION ORGANIZATION.
THEIR MAIN GOAL, ERADICATING   PREVENTIBLE STILL BIRTHS.
PUSH SUPPORTS THE BILL SPONSOR   BID ASSEMBLYWOMAN JENNIFER   RAJKUMAR AND 15 SENATOR TIMOTHY   KENNEDY THAT WOULD CHANGE THE   WORKERS COMPENSATION LAW TO   PROVIDE PAID FAMILY LEAVE   FOLLOWING A STILL BIRTH.
ASSEMBLYWOMAN RODNEYSE BICHOTTE   HERMELYN OPENLY SUPPORTED THE   BILL AT A PRESS CONFERENCE.
SHE HAS A PERSONAL CONNECTION TO   THE ISSUE.
WHEN YOU THINK OF THE   DEFINITION OF FAMILY PAID LEAVE,   YOU REALIZE IN THE LANGUAGE IT   SAYS BONDING, BONDING WITH A   CHILD, BONDING WITH A LOVED ONE   AND I THINK THAT PEOPLE'S   PERCEPTION IS THAT, WELL, IF YOU   JUST WENT THROUGH A STILL BIRTH   EXPERIENCE, YOU DID NOT HAVE A   CHILD TO BOND WITH.
THE ASSEMBLYWOMAN HAD HER   SON, JONAH, IN 2016, THE SAME   YEAR FAMILY LEAVE WAS PASSED BUT   EVENTS AFTER HER DELIVERY MADE   HER QUESTION CONTINUING ON AS A   MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE.
HE CAME OUT LIVING FOR AN   HOUR OR TWO AND THEN HE WAS-- HE   PASSED.
AND AFTER THAT WHOLE EXPERIENCE,   I HAD NOTHING, NO RESOURCES,   NOTHING.
IN FACT, PEOPLE HAD JUST   EXPECTED ME TO GET UP AND WORK.
I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A CHANCE TO   MOURN MY SON.
THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE,   SOME WERE ADVOCATES ON DIFFERENT   ISSUES WHO FELT THAT THEY DIDN'T   UNDERSTAND.
THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY I   NEEDED TO TAKE TIME OFF BECAUSE   I DIDN'T HAVE A CHILD.
I FELT THAT IT WAS 16 INHUMANE   AND I HAD QUESTIONED WHETHER I   WANTED TO DO THIS ANYMORE.
WHEN SAMANTHA PALERMO AND HER   PARTNER BECAME PREGNANT AFTER A   LONG BOUT OF FERTILITY ISSUES,   THEY WERE EXCITED TO BRING THEIR   SON ARCHER INTO THEIR WORLD.
BUT PALERMO SAYS ARCHER STOPPED   MOVING TOWARD THE END OF HER   PREGNANCY AND DURING AN   IMPROMPTU HOSPITAL VISIT, ARCHER   WAS STILL BORN.
SO WHEN I FINALLY GOT HOME,   TOOK A COUPLE DAYS BUT I GO TO   CALL WORK AND THEY SAID WE NEED   A CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH AND   I LOST IT.
I LOST -- I SAID, ARCHER'S NOT   WITH US.
HE PASSED AWAY.
AND SHE TOOK A MOMENT AND SHE   SAYS, I'M SORRY, BUT WE'RE NO   LONGER GOING TO BE ABLE TO   APPROVE YOUR PAID FAMILY LEAVE.
> BLACK MOTHERS ARE TWICE AS   LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE A STILL   BIRTH AS WHITE MOTHERS.
AGE ALSO PLAYS A FACTOR WITH   MOTHERS UNDER AGE 20 OR OVER AGE   40 AT HIGHER RISK.
OBSTETRICIAN AND GYNECOLOGIST   DR. PATTY YUEN, AFFILIATED WITH   PUSH FOR EMPOWERED PREGNANCY,   FEELS MOMS SHOULD HAVE TIME TO   GRIEVE THE LOSS OF THEIR CHILD   AND PHYSICALLY HEAL FROM THEIR   PREGNANCY.
I THINK A WOMAN WITH A STILL   BIRTH SHOULD DEFINITELY STILL BE   ENTITLED TO THE FULL PAID FAMILY   LEAVE.
AFTER A STILL BIRTH EXPERIENCE,   SO A WOMAN STILL 17 NEEDS THE   SAME AMOUNT OF TIME HEALING   PHYSICALLY FROM THE DELIVERY AND   THE PREGNANCY.
NOW IN ADDITION TO THAT,   EMOTIONAL SUPPORT IS EXTREMELY   IMPORTANT FOR THESE WOMEN FOR   OBVIOUS REASONS.
WITHOUT PAID FAMILY LEAVE,   SENIOR HR CONSULTANT MANAGER   MARTIN PATRICK SUGGESTS PARENTS   WHO LOSE A CHILD CAN LOOK TO   OTHER BENEFITS.
AFTER SOMEONE HAS TRAGICALLY   PASSED AWAY, THAT'S MORE OF A   BEREAVEMENT SITUATION BECAUSE   THE FAMILY LEAVE CONCEPT IS   EITHER BONDING OR TAKING CARE OF   A PERSON WITH A SERIOUS HEALTH   CONDITION, AND ONCE THAT SERIOUS   HEALTH CONDITION OR THE CHILD IS   NO LONGER THERE, I THINK THAT   REALLY STRETCHES INTO   BEREAVEMENT MORE THAN IT DOES   PAID FAMILY LEAVE.
AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS DISTRESSED   COULD APPLY, YOU KNOW, FOR   DISABILITY IF THEY CAN'T WORK   BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION.
CASSIDY PERRONE IS A LAWYER   AND NEW YORK NATIVE WHO NOW   LIVES IN CONNECTICUT, BUT   PRACTICED IN NEW YORK STATE WHEN   SHE BECAME PREGNANT AND GAVE   BIRTH TO HER DAUGHTER OLIVIA.
SHE SAID HER ONLY CHOICE AFTER   HER DAUGHTER'S PASSING WAS   TAKING SHORT-TERM DISABILITY,   WHICH IS $170 A WEEK FOR UP TO   26 WEEKS, FAR LESS THAN HER   PREVIOUSLY 18 APPROVED AMOUNT OF   $1,100 THROUGH PAID FAMILY   LEAVE.
I WAS 36 WEEKS PREGNANT.
I WAS RIGHT AT THE FINISH LINE.
ONLY TO BE TOLD, I'M SORRY.
THERE IS NO HEARTBEAT.
MY HUSBAND AND I WALKED OUT OF   THAT HOSPITAL   EMPTY-HANDED, BROKEN-HEARTED AND   UNSURE HOW WE WERE GOING TO   CARRY ON WITHOUT HER.
SEVEN DAYS LATER, WE BURIED OUR   DAUGHTER AND THE VERY NEXT DAY I   RECEIVE A CALL INDICATING TO MY   EMPLOYER THAT THEY ARE REVOKING   MY PREVIOUSLY APPROVED PAID   FAMILY LEAVE BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER   HAD DIED.
PERRONE IS EXPECTING AGAIN   BUT AFTER HER EXPERIENCE WITH   PAID FAMILY LEAVE IN NEW YORK   STATE, SHE BEGAN PRACTICING LAW   IN CONNECTICUT, BUT SHE SAID   LEAVE POLICIES ARE LESS LIKELY   TO CAUSE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP IN   THE EVENT OF A STILL BIRTH.
TAKING THE TIME SHE NEEDED   ALMOST DEPLETED HER AND HER   HUSBAND'S SAVINGS BUT PERRONE   SAID GOING BACK TO WORK TOO   QUICKLY AFTER HER DAUGHTER'S   PASSING COULD HAVE EXPOSED HER   TO LEGAL MALPRACTICE.
SO MANY WOMEN NOWADAYS THAT   ARE EDUCATED AND ARE THE PRIMARY   BREADWINNERS IN THEIR FAMILY   BEING FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN   FOLLOWING THE ADVICE OF THEIR   DOCTORS OR GOING BACK TO WORK TO   PAY   THEIR BILLS, IT'S 19   UNACCEPTABLE.
GOING BACK TO WORK TO PRACTICE   LAW AFTER TWO WEEKS POSTPARTUM   WOULD HAVE PUT ME IN A SITUATION   OF MALPRACTICE.
BUT THAT IS WHAT NEW YORK PUT ME   IN.
THAT IS THE POSITION THAT   NEW YORK PUT ME IN.
PATRICK SAID SUPPLEMENTAL   DISABILITY COULD YIELD FUNDS   COMPARABLE TO PAID FAMILY LEAVE   GREATER THAN $170 PER WEEK   THROUGH TEMPORARY DISABILITY.
USUALLY IT'S PAID BY THE   EMPLOYEE AND IT'S PAID VERSUS--   IT'S USUALLY A PERCENTAGE   OF THEIR SALARY AND DEPENDING ON   THE WAITING PERIOD FOR IT TO   START THEY CAN CERTAINLY MAKE UP   THE DIFFERENCE OF THEIR REGULAR   PAY BY SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE.
SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE COULD   BE THE QUICKER SOLUTION FOR   MOTHERS, BIRTHING PARTNERS AND   FAMILIES IN NEW YORK, BUT   LAWMAKERS ARE STILL WORKING TO   AMEND WORKERS COMPENSATION LAW   AND HAVE BEEN SINCE THE   2019-2020 LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
FOR "NEW YORK NOW," INSIDE THE   STATE CAPITOL, ALEXIS YOUNG.
AND THE SENATE HAS NOW PASSED   A BILL ON THAT BUT NOTHING JUST   YET IN THE ASSEMBLY, BUT BEFORE