The City of Somerville has passed a new ordinance that expands bereavement leave for city employees to include up to five days of paid recovery following a miscarriage, stillbirth or abortion. Passage of the ordinance was led by City Council Vice President Judy Pineda Neufeld. It was approved by a unanimous vote of the Council on October 25, 2022 and signed into law by Mayor Katjana Ballantyne on October 27. 

The expanded leave is modeled off of the Support Through Loss Act, a bill proposed in Congress by Senator Tammy Duckworth (IL) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and versions have been implemented in several cities including Pittsburgh, Portland and Washington DC. The Somerville ordinance is similar to a rule passed last year by the Boston City Council which covers paid time for pregnancy loss under an expanded parental leave program. Somerville’s ordinance makes it the first municipality in Massachusetts to expand its bereavement leave to include abortion recovery, allowing for a pregnant person to get paid time off without taking away from their days for parental leave should they later have a child.

“About 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage. But the actual number is likely higher because many miscarriages occur very early on, before many even know they are pregnant,” said Councilor Pineda Neufeld. “Reproductive health deserves to be treated as essential care. I’m proud to say that Somerville city employees can now take bereavement leave for pregnancy loss, and I hope other cities and employers will follow this lead.”

Judy Pineda Neufeld is the daughter of immigrants, a small business owner, and community organizer currently serving on the Somerville City Council as Vice President and Ward 7 Councilor. First elected to the Council in 2021, Pineda Neufeld has drawn on her lived and professional experience to advance equity and justice, and has worked to make Somerville a more affordable, accessible and livable city.