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Bill Summary · HB 3207

Summary of HB 3207 (Missouri 2026) — Employee Bereavement Leave for the Loss of a Pet

Purpose and intent

  • Establishes a new bereavement leave entitlement for employees who experience the death of a pet.
  • Applies to employers with 10 or more employees in Missouri.
  • Aims to provide a small, defined period of leave to grieve the loss of a companion animal while protecting employees from retaliation for taking the leave.

Key provisions and changes

  • Definition of terms:
    • “Employee”: any individual employed by an employer in Missouri.
    • “Employer”: any person or entity employing ten or more employees in the state.
    • “Pet”: a domesticated animal kept for companionship (e.g., dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, and other household pets legally allowed in Missouri).
  • Bereavement leave entitlement:
    • Upon the death of an employee’s pet, the employer must provide at least three days of bereavement leave.
    • At least one day of the leave must be paid; the remaining days are unpaid unless the employer provides additional paid days.
  • Documentation:
    • Employers may require reasonable documentation to verify eligibility for the leave (e.g., a veterinarian’s certificate or proof of pet ownership).
  • Use and timing of leave:
    • Leave may be taken consecutively or nonconsecutively within thirty days after the pet’s death.
  • Interaction with other leave:
    • Bereavement leave under this section does not diminish or replace other available leave unless the employee voluntarily uses other leave.
  • Protections:
    • Employers may not retaliate, discipline, or discriminate against employees for requesting or taking this bereavement leave.
  • Notice:
    • Employees should provide reasonable notice of the need for bereavement leave unless it is not practicable to do so.
  • Administration and enforcement:
    • The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations would promulgate rules and regulations to administer and enforce this provision.
    • Any rulemaking authority must comply with and be subject to the requirements of Chapter 536 (sunset/legislative oversight provisions). If those rulemaking powers are later found unconstitutional, the rulemaking authority and rules proposed after August 28, 2026, would be invalid.

Who is affected

  • Employers with 10 or more employees in Missouri.
  • Employees who own or care for a domesticated pet (as defined) and experience the death of that pet.
  • The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations would oversee implementation, rules, and enforcement.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Status: Introduced in the 2026 session; referred to Emerging Issues (H) on May 15, 2026.
  • Prior actions: Bill previously introduced; read first time (Feb 4, 2026) and second time (Feb 5, 2026) in the House.
  • Effective governance: Any rules issued under this section would follow the standard rulemaking process; the provision includes a constitutional safeguard clause tying rulemaking authority to Chapter 536.

Practical impact and considerations

  • Employee experience: Provides a concrete, low-resource leave option to grieve the loss of a pet; at least one day is paid.
  • Employer considerations: Requires tracking of bereavement leave, potential documentation, and adherence to non-retaliation protections; employees must be given reasonable notice when possible.
  • Scope and limitations: Applies only to employers with 10+ employees; does not mandate paid leave beyond the minimum of one paid day unless the employer voluntarily offers additional paid leave.
  • Administrative burden: Moderate; employer recordkeeping and potential documentation requests; state department would develop implementing rules.

If you’d like, I can compare this bill to similar bereavement leave provisions in other states or prepare a side-by-side pros/cons briefing for policymakers.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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