Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Bill SB199 Compare Versions

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55 By Senators Figures, Coleman-Madison, Stewart, Kitchens,
66 Livingston, Chesteen, Waggoner, Kelley, Beasley, Butler,
77 Sessions, Williams, Givhan, Gudger, Smitherman, Melson,
88 Albritton, Jones, Chambliss, Hatcher, Bell, Allen, Carnley,
99 Orr
1010 RFD: Finance and Taxation Education
1111 First Read: 25-Feb-25
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2222 First Read: 25-Feb-25
23-Enrolled, An Act,
23+A BILL
24+TO BE ENTITLED
25+AN ACT
2426 Relating to state employees and employees of local
2527 education agencies; to add Chapter 6A, commencing with Section
2628 36-6A-1, to Title 36 of the Code of Alabama 1975; to provide
2729 for paid parental leave for eligible employees following the
2830 birth, stillbirth, or miscarriage of a child or the placement
2931 of a child for adoption; to provide limitations and
3032 requirements related to the use of parental leave; to require
3133 the State of Alabama Personnel Department, the State Board of
3234 Education, and the Alabama Community College System to adopt
3335 rules governing the implementation and administration of
3436 parental leave; to require the State of Alabama Personnel
3537 Department, the State Department of Education, and the Alabama
3638 Community College System to make an annual report; to amend
3739 Section 36-26-35.2, Code of Alabama 1975.
3840 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
3941 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as
4042 the Alabama Public Employee Paid Parental Leave Act of 2025.
4143 Section 2. Chapter 6A, commencing with Section 36-6A-1,
4244 is added to Title 36 of the Code of Alabama 1975, to read as
4345 follows:
4446 “§36-6A-1
45-For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms
46-have the following meanings unless otherwise indicated by
47-context:
48-(1) APPLICABLE EMPLOYING AGENCY. A state entity, local
49-education agency, or the Alabama Community College System or
50-any of its institutions that employs an eligible employee.
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76+“§36-6A-1
77+For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms
78+have the following meanings unless otherwise indicated by
79+context:
80+(1) APPLICABLE EMPLOYING AGENCY. A state entity, local
81+education agency, or the Alabama Community College System or
8082 any of its institutions that employs an eligible employee.
8183 (2) BASE PAY. The eligible employee’s current, ordinary
8284 rate of pay as reasonably determined by the applicable
8385 employing agency.
8486 (3) ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE. Either of the following:
8587 a. A state employee who has been employed in any of the
8688 following categories for at least 12 consecutive months
8789 immediately preceding the occurrence of a qualifying event:
8890 1. Legislative personnel, officers, and employees,
8991 including personnel, officers, and employees of the
9092 Legislative Services Agency, as set forth in Section
9193 36-6-1(a)(2).
9294 2. Court officials and employees of the Unified Judicial
9395 System as set forth in Section 36-6-1(a)(3).
9496 3. Employees of the Administrative Office of Courts as
9597 set forth in Section 36-6-1(a)(4).
9698 4. Hourly personnel considered to be permanent employees
9799 as set forth in Section 36-6-1(a)(5).
98100 5. Members of the unclassified service as set forth in
99101 Section 36-26-10(c) or any employees otherwise designated
100102 unclassified by law.
101103 6. Members of the classified service as set forth in
102104 Section 36-26-10(d).
103-7. Members of the exempt service as set forth in Section
104-36-26-10(b)(3),(b)(8), (b)(10), and (b)(11), and any member of
105-the exempt service who accrues leave pursuant to an
106-authorizing statute.
107-b. A certified or noncertified employee of a local
108-education agency who has been employed by any local education
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134+Section 36-26-10(d).
135+7. Members of the exempt service as set forth in Section
136+36-26-10(b)(3),(b)(8), (b)(10), and (b)(11), and any member of
137+the exempt service who accrues leave pursuant to an
138+authorizing statute.
139+b. A certified or noncertified employee of a local
138140 education agency who has been employed by any local education
139141 agency in this state for at least 12 consecutive months
140142 immediately preceding the occurrence of a qualifying event.
141143 For the purposes of this act, the term "local education
142144 agency" includes the Board of Trustees of the Alabama
143145 Institute for Deaf and Blind.
144146 c. An employee of the Alabama Community College System or
145147 any of the educational institutions under its authority and
146148 control, who has been employed by the system or an educational
147149 institution for at least 12 consecutive months immediately
148150 preceding the occurrence of a qualifying event.
149151 (4) HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL. A physician, physician
150152 assistant, nurse practitioner, or midwife who is licensed to
151153 practice in his or her respective field in the State of
152154 Alabama.
153155 (5) MISCARRIAGE. The loss of an unborn child at or after
154156 twelve weeks gestation and is confirmed in writing by a
155157 healthcare professional. The term does not include an abortion
156158 as defined in Section 26-23H-3 unless necessary to prevent a
157159 serious health risk to the unborn child’s mother as permitted
158160 under Section 26-23H-4.
159161 (6) PARENTAL LEAVE. Paid leave provided to an eligible
160162 employee in connection with a qualifying event pursuant to
161-this chapter.
162-(7) QUALIFYING EVENT. Any of the events that entitle an
163-eligible employee to parental leave pursuant to Section
164-36-6A-2.
165-(8) STILLBIRTH. The loss of an unborn child at or after
166-20 weeks gestation that is confirmed in writing by a
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192+employee in connection with a qualifying event pursuant to
193+this chapter.
194+(7) QUALIFYING EVENT. Any of the events that entitle an
195+eligible employee to parental leave pursuant to Section
196+36-6A-2.
197+(8) STILLBIRTH. The loss of an unborn child at or after
196198 20 weeks gestation that is confirmed in writing by a
197199 healthcare professional. The term does not include an abortion
198200 as defined in Section 26-23H-3 unless necessary to prevent a
199201 serious health risk to the unborn child’s mother as permitted
200202 under Section 26-23H-4."
201203 “§36-6A-2
202204 (a)(1) An eligible employee who is female shall be
203205 entitled to eight weeks of parental leave in connection with
204206 the birth, stillbirth, or miscarriage of her child which
205207 occurs on or after July 1, 2025.
206208 (2) An eligible employee who is male shall be entitled to
207209 two weeks of parental leave in connection with the birth,
208210 stillbirth, or miscarriage of his child which occurs on or
209211 after July 1, 2025.
210212 (3) An eligible employee shall be entitled to eight weeks
211213 of parental leave in connection with the placement of a child
212214 with the eligible employee for adoption which occurs on or
213215 after July 1, 2025, provided the child is three years of age
214216 or younger at the time that he or she is placed with the
215217 eligible employee. In the event that parents who jointly adopt
216218 a child are both eligible employees, one parent shall be
217219 entitled to eight weeks of parental leave in connection with
218220 the adoption and one parent shall be entitled to two weeks of
219-parental leave in connection with the adoption. The State of
220-Alabama Personnel Department, the State Board of Education,
221-and the Alabama Community College System shall jointly adopt
222-rules to implement this subdivision.
223-(b) An eligible employee may not take parental leave
224-under this section unless he or she has completed the
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250+the adoption and one parent shall be entitled to two weeks of
251+parental leave in connection with the adoption. The State of
252+Alabama Personnel Department, the State Board of Education,
253+and the Alabama Community College System shall jointly adopt
254+rules to implement this subdivision.
255+(b) An eligible employee may not take parental leave
254256 under this section unless he or she has completed the
255257 requirements of subdivision (b)(1) and paragraph(b)(2)a. prior
256258 to taking parental leave.
257259 (1) The eligible employee shall provide the applicable
258260 employing agency a written plan regarding his or her intended
259261 use of the parental leave and any other leave he or she
260262 intends to take in connection with the qualifying event.
261263 (2)a. The eligible employee shall agree in writing with
262264 the applicable employing agency not to separate from
263265 employment for a period of at least eight weeks following the
264266 conclusion of any leave taken in connection with the
265267 qualifying event.
266268 b. The requirement of paragraph a. may be waived by the
267269 applicable employing agency in circumstances where the
268270 eligible employee is unable to return to work such as a
269271 serious health condition of the employee or of an immediate
270272 family member.
271273 c. If the eligible employee fails to comply with the
272274 return-to-work agreement required by this subdivision, the
273275 applicable employing agency may recover from the eligible
274276 employee, by offset or otherwise, an amount equal to the
275277 eligible employee’s hourly rate of pay multiplied by the
276278 number of hours the eligible employee failed to work in
277-compliance with the return-to-work agreement.
278-(3) In the event of an emergency that prevents an
279-eligible employee from completing the requirements of
280-subdivision (b)(1) and paragraph(b)(2)a. prior to taking
281-parental leave, the eligible employee shall complete these
282-requirements as soon as practicable after the emergency has
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308+number of hours the eligible employee failed to work in
309+compliance with the return-to-work agreement.
310+(3) In the event of an emergency that prevents an
311+eligible employee from completing the requirements of
312+subdivision (b)(1) and paragraph(b)(2)a. prior to taking
313+parental leave, the eligible employee shall complete these
312314 requirements as soon as practicable after the emergency has
313315 ended.
314316 (c) An eligible employee may use any parental leaveto
315317 which he or she is entitled under this chapter intermittently
316318 or on a reduced leave schedule, subject to the following
317319 limitations:
318320 (1) The parental leave shall be used within 365 days of
319321 the qualifying event or within 365 days of the eligible
320322 employee taking parental leave for a qualifying event,
321323 whichever occurs sooner. An eligible employee may only use
322324 parental leave in connection with one qualifying event during
323325 a 365-day period, even if more than one qualifying event
324326 occurs.
325327 (2) The eligible employee shall maintain a continuing
326328 parental role with any child whose birth or adoption was a
327329 qualifying event.
328330 (3) Parental leave taken intermittently or on a reduced
329331 leave schedule for bonding purposes shall be agreed to by the
330332 applicable employing agency prior to the start of the leave.
331333 (d) Parental leave taken under this section shall run
332334 concurrently with leave taken under Section 25-1-61 and under
333335 the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, codified as 29
334336 U.S.C. §2611, et seq.
335-(e) Upon the expiration of an eligible employee's
336-parental leave, the eligible employee shall be restored to the
337-position that he or she held at the time of the qualifying
338-event or to an equivalent position with equivalent seniority,
339-status, employment benefits, pay, and other terms and
340-conditions of employment, including any fringe benefits and
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366+U.S.C. §2611, et seq.
367+(e) Upon the expiration of an eligible employee's
368+parental leave, the eligible employee shall be restored to the
369+position that he or she held at the time of the qualifying
370+event or to an equivalent position with equivalent seniority,
371+status, employment benefits, pay, and other terms and
370372 conditions of employment, including any fringe benefits and
371373 service credits, that the eligible employee received or was
372374 entitled to prior to the commencement of his or her parental
373375 leave. A local education agency employee, as provided in
374376 Section 36-6A-1(3)b., shall be restored to the grade taught
375377 prior to taking parental leave unless otherwise agreed to by
376378 the employee. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to
377379 prevent an eligible employee from receiving any cost-of-living
378380 salary increase provided generally to eligible employees or
379381 any merit increase to which the eligible employee would have
380382 been entitled had he or she not taken parental leave."
381383 “§36-6A-3
382384 (a) Parental leave authorized by this chapter shall be
383385 administered as follows:
384386 (1) Parental leave shall be paid at 100 percent of the
385387 eligible employee's base pay.
386388 (2) Parental leave shall remain at 100 percent of the pay
387389 provided in subdivision (1) for the duration of the leave as
388390 if the eligible employee worked continuously from the date
389391 that the eligible employee commenced his or her parental
390392 leave until the date the eligible employee returns from
391393 parental leave.
392394 (3) Parental leave shall not require an eligible employee
393-to use or exhaust sick leave, annual leave, or any other leave
394-or paid time off.
395-(4) Parental leave has no cash value.
396-(b) Any unused parental leave may not be used to
397-calculate an eligible employee's retirement benefits.
398-(c) Unused parental leave shall not roll over, be
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424+(3) Parental leave shall not require an eligible employee
425+to use or exhaust sick leave, annual leave, or any other leave
426+or paid time off.
427+(4) Parental leave has no cash value.
428+(b) Any unused parental leave may not be used to
429+calculate an eligible employee's retirement benefits.
428430 (c) Unused parental leave shall not roll over, be
429431 reserved for use during a subsequent qualifying event, or be
430432 paid to the eligible employee."
431433 “§36-6A-4
432434 (a) During an eligible employee's parental leave, the
433435 applicable employing agency shall continue to pay the
434436 employer's contribution to maintain any health care benefits
435437 the employee had at the time of the qualifying event for the
436438 duration of the leave as if the eligible employee had
437439 continued in employment continuously from the date the
438440 eligible employee commenced the parental leave until the date
439441 the eligible employee returns from the leave.
440442 (b) The eligible employee shall continue to pay his or
441443 her share of the cost of health care benefits, if any, as was
442444 required of him and her prior to the commencement of parental
443445 leave."
444446 “§36-6A-5
445447 (a)(1) The State Personnel Department shall adopt rules
446448 to implement and administer this chapter as to state employees
447449 who may be an eligible employee as defined in Section
448450 36-6A-1(3)a.
449451 (2) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
450452 implement and administer this chapter as to local education
451-agency employees who may be an eligible employee as defined in
452-Section 36-6A-1(3)b. Rules adopted pursuant to this
453-subdivision shall apply to an eligible employee of a public
454-charter school notwithstanding Section 16-6F-9(a)(3).
455-(3) The Board of Trustees of the Alabama Community
456-College System (ACCS) shall adopt rules to implement and
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482+implement and administer this chapter as to local education
483+agency employees who may be an eligible employee as defined in
484+Section 36-6A-1(3)b. Rules adopted pursuant to this
485+subdivision shall apply to an eligible employee of a public
486+charter school notwithstanding Section 16-6F-9(a)(3).
487+(3) The Board of Trustees of the Alabama Community
486488 College System (ACCS) shall adopt rules to implement and
487489 administer this chapter as to employees of the Alabama
488490 Community College System and the educational institutions
489491 under its authority and control who may be an eligible
490492 employee as defined in Section 36-6A-1(3)c.
491493 (b) The rules adopted pursuant to subsection (a) shall
492494 set reasonable procedures necessary to implement this chapter,
493495 including any necessary forms, for an eligible employee
494496 exercising his or her right to parental leave under this
495497 chapter. Forms and procedures shall not be unduly burdensome
496498 to the eligible employee.
497499 (c) The rules adopted pursuant to subsection (a) shall
498500 provide for each state employee, local education agency
499501 employee, and employee of ACCS to receive written notice upon
500502 his or her hiring of the following:
501503 (1) An eligible employee's right to parental leave
502504 pursuant to this chapter.
503505 (2) The number of weeks of parental leave available to an
504506 eligible employee.
505507 (3) The procedure for taking parental leave."
506508 “§36-6A-6
507509 No later than October 1, 2026, and every October 1
508510 thereafter until October 1, 2030, the State Personnel
509-Department, the State Department of Education, and the Alabama
510-Community College System shall submit to the Governor and the
511-Legislature and make publicly available information regarding
512-the implementation and use of parental leave by eligible
513-employees for the previous fiscal year."
514-Section 3. Section 36-26-35.2, Code of Alabama 1975,
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540+thereafter until October 1, 2030, the State Personnel
541+Department, the State Department of Education, and the Alabama
542+Community College System shall submit to the Governor and the
543+Legislature and make publicly available information regarding
544+the implementation and use of parental leave by eligible
545+employees for the previous fiscal year."
544546 Section 3. Section 36-26-35.2, Code of Alabama 1975,
545547 shall be amended to read as follows:
546548 "§36-26-35.2
547549 (a) Notwithstanding any other laws to the contrary, a
548550 state employee employed in any branch of state government may
549551 donate his or her accrued and unused annual, sick, or
550552 compensatory leave to another state employee who has qualified
551553 for catastrophic sick leave or family leave . The donation
552554 shall be subject to the approval of the appointing authority
553555 of the employee making the donation and, if the donating
554556 employee is in a position with a lower pay grade than the
555557 position of the employee receiving the donation, the approval
556558 of the State Personnel Board. The appointing authority of the
557559 employee receiving the donation may limit the number of hours
558560 an employee may receive per catastrophic illness or family
559561 leave. No employee may receive more than 480 hours of donated
560562 leave throughout his or her career with the state without the
561563 approval of the State Personnel Board. A state employee who
562564 qualifies for the receipt of donated leave for adoption shall
563565 receive up to a maximum of two weeks of donated leave per
564566 adoption.
565567 (b) For purposes of this section only, "family leave"
566568 means maternity or adoption leave pursuant to rules of the
567-State Personnel Board. "
568-Section 4. This act shall become effective July 1,
569-2025.
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598+means maternity or adoption leave pursuant to rules of the
599+State Personnel Board. "
600+Section 4. This act shall become effective July 1,
596601 2025.
597-________________________________________________
598-President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
599-________________________________________________
600-Speaker of the House of Representatives
601-SB199
602-Senate 05-Mar-25
603-I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and passed
604-the Senate, as amended.
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606+2025.
607+Senate
608+Read for the first time and referred
609+to the Senate committee on Finance
610+and Taxation Education
611+................25-Feb-25
612+Read for the second time and placed
613+on the calendar:
614+ 0 amendments
615+................27-Feb-25
616+Read for the third time and passed
617+as amended
618+Yeas 28
619+Nays 3
620+Abstains 0
621+................05-Mar-25
605622 Patrick Harris,
606623 Secretary.
607-House of Representatives
608-Passed: 20-Mar-25
609-By: Senator Figures
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