The U.S. Senate has passed a federal version of a New Hampshire law allowing college students to take up to a year off school for medical reasons and still stay on their family’s health insurance.
Michelle’s Law was inspired by Plymouth State University student Michelle Morse of Manchester who died of colon cancer in 2005.
Her doctors advised her to cut back on her course load while undergoing chemotherapy. She couldn’t do that however, because she would have lost her family’s health insurance if she left school.
Morse died as she struggled to regain her health while going to school full-time.
Her mother, AnnMarie Morse, said she hopes students will never have to take the medical leave the bill provides, but she’s pleased it’s there "just in case."
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill in July. It was sponsored by Congressman Paul Hodes and now heads to the president.