Bill > HB3207

This bill, if enacted, would require employers in Missouri with ten or more employees to provide their employees with at least three days of bereavement leave following the death of a pet, which is defined as a domesticated animal kept for companionship, such as dogs, cats, rabbits, or birds. At least one of these days must be paid, with the remaining days being unpaid unless the employer chooses to offer more paid leave. Employers can request reasonable documentation, like a veterinarian's certificate, to verify the employee's eligibility for this leave, which can be taken consecutively or non-consecutively within 30 days of the pet's death. This leave would not replace other existing leave benefits unless the employee opts to use them, and employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who request or take this bereavement leave. Employees are expected to provide reasonable notice for the leave, unless it's not practical to do so. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations would be responsible for creating rules to administer and enforce this new provision.