5 | 5 | | By Senators Figures, Coleman-Madison, Stewart, Kitchens, |
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6 | 6 | | Livingston, Chesteen, Waggoner, Kelley, Beasley, Butler, |
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7 | 7 | | Sessions, Williams, Givhan, Gudger, Smitherman, Melson, |
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8 | 8 | | Albritton, Jones, Chambliss, Hatcher, Bell, Allen, Carnley, |
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9 | 9 | | Orr |
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10 | 10 | | RFD: Finance and Taxation Education |
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11 | 11 | | First Read: 25-Feb-25 |
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12 | 12 | | 1 |
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15 | 15 | | 4 |
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16 | 16 | | 5 |
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17 | 17 | | 6 |
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18 | 18 | | 7 |
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24 | 26 | | Relating to state employees and employees of local |
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25 | 27 | | education agencies; to add Chapter 6A, commencing with Section |
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26 | 28 | | 36-6A-1, to Title 36 of the Code of Alabama 1975; to provide |
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27 | 29 | | for paid parental leave for eligible employees following the |
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28 | 30 | | birth, stillbirth, or miscarriage of a child or the placement |
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29 | 31 | | of a child for adoption; to provide limitations and |
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30 | 32 | | requirements related to the use of parental leave; to require |
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31 | 33 | | the State of Alabama Personnel Department, the State Board of |
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32 | 34 | | Education, and the Alabama Community College System to adopt |
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33 | 35 | | rules governing the implementation and administration of |
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34 | 36 | | parental leave; to require the State of Alabama Personnel |
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35 | 37 | | Department, the State Department of Education, and the Alabama |
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36 | 38 | | Community College System to make an annual report; to amend |
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37 | 39 | | Section 36-26-35.2, Code of Alabama 1975. |
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38 | 40 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: |
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39 | 41 | | Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as |
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40 | 42 | | the Alabama Public Employee Paid Parental Leave Act of 2025. |
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41 | 43 | | Section 2. Chapter 6A, commencing with Section 36-6A-1, |
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42 | 44 | | is added to Title 36 of the Code of Alabama 1975, to read as |
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43 | 45 | | follows: |
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44 | 46 | | “§36-6A-1 |
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80 | 82 | | any of its institutions that employs an eligible employee. |
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81 | 83 | | (2) BASE PAY. The eligible employee’s current, ordinary |
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82 | 84 | | rate of pay as reasonably determined by the applicable |
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83 | 85 | | employing agency. |
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84 | 86 | | (3) ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE. Either of the following: |
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85 | 87 | | a. A state employee who has been employed in any of the |
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86 | 88 | | following categories for at least 12 consecutive months |
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87 | 89 | | immediately preceding the occurrence of a qualifying event: |
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88 | 90 | | 1. Legislative personnel, officers, and employees, |
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89 | 91 | | including personnel, officers, and employees of the |
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90 | 92 | | Legislative Services Agency, as set forth in Section |
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91 | 93 | | 36-6-1(a)(2). |
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92 | 94 | | 2. Court officials and employees of the Unified Judicial |
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93 | 95 | | System as set forth in Section 36-6-1(a)(3). |
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94 | 96 | | 3. Employees of the Administrative Office of Courts as |
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95 | 97 | | set forth in Section 36-6-1(a)(4). |
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96 | 98 | | 4. Hourly personnel considered to be permanent employees |
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97 | 99 | | as set forth in Section 36-6-1(a)(5). |
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98 | 100 | | 5. Members of the unclassified service as set forth in |
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99 | 101 | | Section 36-26-10(c) or any employees otherwise designated |
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100 | 102 | | unclassified by law. |
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101 | 103 | | 6. Members of the classified service as set forth in |
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102 | 104 | | Section 36-26-10(d). |
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138 | 140 | | education agency who has been employed by any local education |
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139 | 141 | | agency in this state for at least 12 consecutive months |
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140 | 142 | | immediately preceding the occurrence of a qualifying event. |
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141 | 143 | | For the purposes of this act, the term "local education |
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142 | 144 | | agency" includes the Board of Trustees of the Alabama |
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143 | 145 | | Institute for Deaf and Blind. |
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144 | 146 | | c. An employee of the Alabama Community College System or |
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145 | 147 | | any of the educational institutions under its authority and |
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146 | 148 | | control, who has been employed by the system or an educational |
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147 | 149 | | institution for at least 12 consecutive months immediately |
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148 | 150 | | preceding the occurrence of a qualifying event. |
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149 | 151 | | (4) HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL. A physician, physician |
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150 | 152 | | assistant, nurse practitioner, or midwife who is licensed to |
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151 | 153 | | practice in his or her respective field in the State of |
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152 | 154 | | Alabama. |
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153 | 155 | | (5) MISCARRIAGE. The loss of an unborn child at or after |
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154 | 156 | | twelve weeks gestation and is confirmed in writing by a |
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155 | 157 | | healthcare professional. The term does not include an abortion |
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156 | 158 | | as defined in Section 26-23H-3 unless necessary to prevent a |
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157 | 159 | | serious health risk to the unborn child’s mother as permitted |
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158 | 160 | | under Section 26-23H-4. |
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159 | 161 | | (6) PARENTAL LEAVE. Paid leave provided to an eligible |
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160 | 162 | | employee in connection with a qualifying event pursuant to |
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196 | 198 | | 20 weeks gestation that is confirmed in writing by a |
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197 | 199 | | healthcare professional. The term does not include an abortion |
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198 | 200 | | as defined in Section 26-23H-3 unless necessary to prevent a |
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199 | 201 | | serious health risk to the unborn child’s mother as permitted |
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200 | 202 | | under Section 26-23H-4." |
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201 | 203 | | “§36-6A-2 |
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202 | 204 | | (a)(1) An eligible employee who is female shall be |
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203 | 205 | | entitled to eight weeks of parental leave in connection with |
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204 | 206 | | the birth, stillbirth, or miscarriage of her child which |
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205 | 207 | | occurs on or after July 1, 2025. |
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206 | 208 | | (2) An eligible employee who is male shall be entitled to |
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207 | 209 | | two weeks of parental leave in connection with the birth, |
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208 | 210 | | stillbirth, or miscarriage of his child which occurs on or |
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209 | 211 | | after July 1, 2025. |
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210 | 212 | | (3) An eligible employee shall be entitled to eight weeks |
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211 | 213 | | of parental leave in connection with the placement of a child |
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212 | 214 | | with the eligible employee for adoption which occurs on or |
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213 | 215 | | after July 1, 2025, provided the child is three years of age |
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214 | 216 | | or younger at the time that he or she is placed with the |
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215 | 217 | | eligible employee. In the event that parents who jointly adopt |
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216 | 218 | | a child are both eligible employees, one parent shall be |
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217 | 219 | | entitled to eight weeks of parental leave in connection with |
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218 | 220 | | the adoption and one parent shall be entitled to two weeks of |
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254 | 256 | | under this section unless he or she has completed the |
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255 | 257 | | requirements of subdivision (b)(1) and paragraph(b)(2)a. prior |
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256 | 258 | | to taking parental leave. |
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257 | 259 | | (1) The eligible employee shall provide the applicable |
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258 | 260 | | employing agency a written plan regarding his or her intended |
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259 | 261 | | use of the parental leave and any other leave he or she |
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260 | 262 | | intends to take in connection with the qualifying event. |
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261 | 263 | | (2)a. The eligible employee shall agree in writing with |
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262 | 264 | | the applicable employing agency not to separate from |
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263 | 265 | | employment for a period of at least eight weeks following the |
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264 | 266 | | conclusion of any leave taken in connection with the |
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265 | 267 | | qualifying event. |
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266 | 268 | | b. The requirement of paragraph a. may be waived by the |
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267 | 269 | | applicable employing agency in circumstances where the |
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268 | 270 | | eligible employee is unable to return to work such as a |
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269 | 271 | | serious health condition of the employee or of an immediate |
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270 | 272 | | family member. |
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271 | 273 | | c. If the eligible employee fails to comply with the |
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272 | 274 | | return-to-work agreement required by this subdivision, the |
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273 | 275 | | applicable employing agency may recover from the eligible |
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274 | 276 | | employee, by offset or otherwise, an amount equal to the |
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275 | 277 | | eligible employee’s hourly rate of pay multiplied by the |
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276 | 278 | | number of hours the eligible employee failed to work in |
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312 | 314 | | requirements as soon as practicable after the emergency has |
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313 | 315 | | ended. |
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314 | 316 | | (c) An eligible employee may use any parental leaveto |
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315 | 317 | | which he or she is entitled under this chapter intermittently |
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316 | 318 | | or on a reduced leave schedule, subject to the following |
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317 | 319 | | limitations: |
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318 | 320 | | (1) The parental leave shall be used within 365 days of |
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319 | 321 | | the qualifying event or within 365 days of the eligible |
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320 | 322 | | employee taking parental leave for a qualifying event, |
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321 | 323 | | whichever occurs sooner. An eligible employee may only use |
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322 | 324 | | parental leave in connection with one qualifying event during |
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323 | 325 | | a 365-day period, even if more than one qualifying event |
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324 | 326 | | occurs. |
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325 | 327 | | (2) The eligible employee shall maintain a continuing |
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326 | 328 | | parental role with any child whose birth or adoption was a |
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327 | 329 | | qualifying event. |
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328 | 330 | | (3) Parental leave taken intermittently or on a reduced |
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329 | 331 | | leave schedule for bonding purposes shall be agreed to by the |
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330 | 332 | | applicable employing agency prior to the start of the leave. |
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331 | 333 | | (d) Parental leave taken under this section shall run |
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332 | 334 | | concurrently with leave taken under Section 25-1-61 and under |
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333 | 335 | | the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, codified as 29 |
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334 | 336 | | U.S.C. §2611, et seq. |
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335 | | - | (e) Upon the expiration of an eligible employee's |
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336 | | - | parental leave, the eligible employee shall be restored to the |
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337 | | - | position that he or she held at the time of the qualifying |
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338 | | - | event or to an equivalent position with equivalent seniority, |
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339 | | - | status, employment benefits, pay, and other terms and |
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340 | | - | conditions of employment, including any fringe benefits and |
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370 | 372 | | conditions of employment, including any fringe benefits and |
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371 | 373 | | service credits, that the eligible employee received or was |
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372 | 374 | | entitled to prior to the commencement of his or her parental |
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373 | 375 | | leave. A local education agency employee, as provided in |
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374 | 376 | | Section 36-6A-1(3)b., shall be restored to the grade taught |
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375 | 377 | | prior to taking parental leave unless otherwise agreed to by |
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376 | 378 | | the employee. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to |
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377 | 379 | | prevent an eligible employee from receiving any cost-of-living |
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378 | 380 | | salary increase provided generally to eligible employees or |
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379 | 381 | | any merit increase to which the eligible employee would have |
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380 | 382 | | been entitled had he or she not taken parental leave." |
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381 | 383 | | “§36-6A-3 |
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382 | 384 | | (a) Parental leave authorized by this chapter shall be |
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383 | 385 | | administered as follows: |
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384 | 386 | | (1) Parental leave shall be paid at 100 percent of the |
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385 | 387 | | eligible employee's base pay. |
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386 | 388 | | (2) Parental leave shall remain at 100 percent of the pay |
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387 | 389 | | provided in subdivision (1) for the duration of the leave as |
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388 | 390 | | if the eligible employee worked continuously from the date |
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389 | 391 | | that the eligible employee commenced his or her parental |
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390 | 392 | | leave until the date the eligible employee returns from |
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391 | 393 | | parental leave. |
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392 | 394 | | (3) Parental leave shall not require an eligible employee |
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428 | 430 | | (c) Unused parental leave shall not roll over, be |
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429 | 431 | | reserved for use during a subsequent qualifying event, or be |
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430 | 432 | | paid to the eligible employee." |
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431 | 433 | | “§36-6A-4 |
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432 | 434 | | (a) During an eligible employee's parental leave, the |
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433 | 435 | | applicable employing agency shall continue to pay the |
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434 | 436 | | employer's contribution to maintain any health care benefits |
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435 | 437 | | the employee had at the time of the qualifying event for the |
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436 | 438 | | duration of the leave as if the eligible employee had |
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437 | 439 | | continued in employment continuously from the date the |
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438 | 440 | | eligible employee commenced the parental leave until the date |
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439 | 441 | | the eligible employee returns from the leave. |
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440 | 442 | | (b) The eligible employee shall continue to pay his or |
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441 | 443 | | her share of the cost of health care benefits, if any, as was |
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442 | 444 | | required of him and her prior to the commencement of parental |
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443 | 445 | | leave." |
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444 | 446 | | “§36-6A-5 |
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445 | 447 | | (a)(1) The State Personnel Department shall adopt rules |
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446 | 448 | | to implement and administer this chapter as to state employees |
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447 | 449 | | who may be an eligible employee as defined in Section |
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448 | 450 | | 36-6A-1(3)a. |
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449 | 451 | | (2) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to |
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450 | 452 | | implement and administer this chapter as to local education |
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486 | 488 | | College System (ACCS) shall adopt rules to implement and |
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487 | 489 | | administer this chapter as to employees of the Alabama |
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488 | 490 | | Community College System and the educational institutions |
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489 | 491 | | under its authority and control who may be an eligible |
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490 | 492 | | employee as defined in Section 36-6A-1(3)c. |
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491 | 493 | | (b) The rules adopted pursuant to subsection (a) shall |
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492 | 494 | | set reasonable procedures necessary to implement this chapter, |
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493 | 495 | | including any necessary forms, for an eligible employee |
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494 | 496 | | exercising his or her right to parental leave under this |
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495 | 497 | | chapter. Forms and procedures shall not be unduly burdensome |
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496 | 498 | | to the eligible employee. |
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497 | 499 | | (c) The rules adopted pursuant to subsection (a) shall |
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498 | 500 | | provide for each state employee, local education agency |
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499 | 501 | | employee, and employee of ACCS to receive written notice upon |
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500 | 502 | | his or her hiring of the following: |
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501 | 503 | | (1) An eligible employee's right to parental leave |
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502 | 504 | | pursuant to this chapter. |
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503 | 505 | | (2) The number of weeks of parental leave available to an |
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504 | 506 | | eligible employee. |
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505 | 507 | | (3) The procedure for taking parental leave." |
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506 | 508 | | “§36-6A-6 |
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507 | 509 | | No later than October 1, 2026, and every October 1 |
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508 | 510 | | thereafter until October 1, 2030, the State Personnel |
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544 | 546 | | Section 3. Section 36-26-35.2, Code of Alabama 1975, |
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545 | 547 | | shall be amended to read as follows: |
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546 | 548 | | "§36-26-35.2 |
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547 | 549 | | (a) Notwithstanding any other laws to the contrary, a |
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548 | 550 | | state employee employed in any branch of state government may |
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549 | 551 | | donate his or her accrued and unused annual, sick, or |
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550 | 552 | | compensatory leave to another state employee who has qualified |
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551 | 553 | | for catastrophic sick leave or family leave . The donation |
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552 | 554 | | shall be subject to the approval of the appointing authority |
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553 | 555 | | of the employee making the donation and, if the donating |
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554 | 556 | | employee is in a position with a lower pay grade than the |
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555 | 557 | | position of the employee receiving the donation, the approval |
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556 | 558 | | of the State Personnel Board. The appointing authority of the |
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557 | 559 | | employee receiving the donation may limit the number of hours |
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558 | 560 | | an employee may receive per catastrophic illness or family |
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559 | 561 | | leave. No employee may receive more than 480 hours of donated |
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560 | 562 | | leave throughout his or her career with the state without the |
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561 | 563 | | approval of the State Personnel Board. A state employee who |
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562 | 564 | | qualifies for the receipt of donated leave for adoption shall |
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563 | 565 | | receive up to a maximum of two weeks of donated leave per |
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564 | 566 | | adoption. |
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565 | 567 | | (b) For purposes of this section only, "family leave" |
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566 | 568 | | means maternity or adoption leave pursuant to rules of the |
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597 | | - | ________________________________________________ |
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598 | | - | President and Presiding Officer of the Senate |
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599 | | - | ________________________________________________ |
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600 | | - | Speaker of the House of Representatives |
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601 | | - | SB199 |
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602 | | - | Senate 05-Mar-25 |
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603 | | - | I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and passed |
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604 | | - | the Senate, as amended. |
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| 602 | + | 281 |
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| 603 | + | 282 |
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| 604 | + | 283 SB199 Engrossed |
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| 605 | + | Page 12 |
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| 606 | + | 2025. |
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| 607 | + | Senate |
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| 608 | + | Read for the first time and referred |
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| 609 | + | to the Senate committee on Finance |
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| 610 | + | and Taxation Education |
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| 611 | + | ................25-Feb-25 |
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| 612 | + | Read for the second time and placed |
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| 613 | + | on the calendar: |
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| 614 | + | 0 amendments |
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| 615 | + | ................27-Feb-25 |
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| 616 | + | Read for the third time and passed |
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| 617 | + | as amended |
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| 618 | + | Yeas 28 |
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| 619 | + | Nays 3 |
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| 620 | + | Abstains 0 |
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| 621 | + | ................05-Mar-25 |
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