A bill to let parents request a certificate of nonviable birth for a miscarried child passed the Florida Senate Thursday and is on its way to the governor.

The "Grieving Families Act" was proposed by FL Rep. Bob Cortes, R-Altamonte Springs. The bill allows parents who lose a fetus between 10 and 20 weeks to request the certificate as a way for them to memorialize their child. 

The Florida Senate passed the bill unanimously on Thursday. The House passed it 115-1 three weeks ago.

When we interviewed Cortes back in February, he said that some parents will spend $40 or $50 on a fake certificate online. 

"I hear daily on stories of parents that have lost a child and they are not allowed to get a certificate," Cortes said Thursday. "We're seeing something that happens on a daily basis, unfortunately for many parents, and I think this will bring some sort of closure and help and healing to those that are grieving."

Right now only parents who lose a fetus that is four months or older could get a stillborn birth certificate. Cortes said the certificate is not expected to cost more than $5.

He's also happy the bill did not get swept up in the ongoing debate between pro-choice and anti-abortion factions. 

"Thankfully it was not swept up into the social debate, it was seen for what it was," Cortes said.

Cortes said the bill is the first of its kind in the country.