SB 1285 - HB 1312
FISCAL NOTE
Fiscal Review Committee
Tennessee General Assembly
February 28, 2025
Fiscal Analyst: Rebecca Chandler | Email: rebecca.chandler@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564
SB 1285 - HB 1312
SUMMARY OF BILL: Revises the bereavement leave policy for eligible state employees by
introducing a tiered system that provides additional leave based on the relationship to the deceased.
Employees are granted three days for the death of siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, foster
parents, or parents-in-law; five days for parents or stepparents; and ten days for a spouse, children,
or stepchildren.
FISCAL IMPACT:
NOT SIGNIFICANT
Assumptions:
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-50-113(a), eligible state government employees are
entitled to three days of paid bereavement leave for the death of a close family member,
including a spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, stepparent, foster parent,
or parent-in-law.
• Assuming the average number of work days in a month to be 20 days, the proposed
legislation will increase the amount of bereavement available to state employees based on
the relationship. The additional leave for each category can be calculated as follows:
o Siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, foster parents, and parents-in-law: 3
bereavement days
o Parents or stepparents: 5 bereavement days
o Spouse, child, or stepchild: 10 bereavement leave days.
• As a result, applicable state employees may utilize up to 10 additional days of bereavement
leave. However, it is uncertain whether state agencies will deduct this leave from an
employee’s accrued leave balance or provide it as additional time off.
• Based on information provided by the Department of Human Resources (DHR), 4,423
state employees took bereavement leave in FY23-24. Legislative employees, who are not
included in this legislation, represent 90 of such employees.
• The familial relationships of the deceased family members for whom the 4,423 state
employees took bereavement leave are unknown.
• The number of additional days that any such employee will take is unknown, but is
reasonably assumed to vary from employee-to-employee, based on personal circumstances.
• Any operational impact is expected to be absorbed within existing resources.
• As agencies may adjust workloads and staffing to accommodate additional bereavement
leave, any fiscal impact is not expected to be significant.
SB 1285 - HB 1312 2
CERTIFICATION:
The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Bojan Savic, Executive Director