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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 3207
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE RUSH.
6309H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o amend chapter 285, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to employee
bereavement leave for the loss of a pet.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 285, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be
2 known as section 285.685, to read as follows:
285.685. 1. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
2 (1) "Employee", any individual employed by an employer in this state;
3 (2) "Employer", any person, partnership, corporation, organization, or entity
4 employing ten or mor e employees within this state;
5 (3) "Pet", a domesticated animal kept for companionship including, but not
6 limited to, dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, and other animals legally allowed as household pets
7 in this state.
8 2. Upon the death of an employee's pet, the employer shall prov ide the employee
9 with at least thr ee days of ber eavement leave. At least one day of the leave shall be paid.
10 The rem aining leave shall be unpaid unless the employer elects to pr ovide additional
11 paid days.
12 3. An employer may r equir e an employee to prov ide reas onable documentation
13 demonstrating the employee's eligibility for the ber eavement leave under this section,
14 such as a veterinarian's certificate or other proo f of pet ownership.
15 4. Ber eavement leave under this section may be taken:
16 (1) Consecutively; or
17 (2) Nonconsecutively within thirty days following the death of the pet.
EXPLANA TION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law . Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.
18 5. Leave taken under this section shall not diminish or rep lace any other leave
19 available to the employee unless the employee voluntarily chooses to use other available
20 leave.
21 6. An employer shall not reta liate, discipline, or discriminate against any
22 employee for requ esting or taking berea vement leave under this section.
23 7. An employee shall pr ovide re asonable notice to his or her employer of the
24 need for berea vement leave unless pr oviding such notice is not practicable.
25 8. The department of labor and industrial relat ions may pro mulgate all
26 necessary rules and regu lations for the administration and enfor cement of this section.
27 Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is creat ed
28 under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies
29 with and is subject to all of the pr ovisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section
30 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested
31 with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to rev iew , to delay the effective date,
32 or to disappr ove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant
33 of rulemaking authority and any rule pr oposed or adopted after August 28, 2026, shall
34 be invalid and void.
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HB 3207 2