The Director of Human Resources in American Samoa, Evelyn Vaitautolu Langford, is backing a bill that aims to provide pregnant women with 30 days paid maternity leave.
But she says more research is needed on its impact.
The bill's sponsored by Galumalemana Bill Satele who says many mothers are forced to return to work after giving birth, even though they're not ready to do so, because they have run out of annual or sick leave.
He says giving birth is not an illness but a natural occurrence and his main intention is to help working mothers.
The Director of Human Resources has told a hearing of the House Government Operations committee that at present mothers take sick leave, annual leave or leave without pay when they give birth.
Ms Langford says some minimum requirements should be added, such as ensuring staff only qualify after being employed for 1 year while they should also be bonded to return to work after they take the maternity leave.
