Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 904 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H1/16/25 H1/23/25 H3/31/25 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1017 3
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By: Representatives A. Collins, Springer, Gonzales Worthen, Barnett, Brooks 5
By: Senator B. Davis 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING PAID MATERNITY 9
LEAVE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES; TO REQUIRE THE 10
DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION TO PAY 11
FOR ALL INCURRED COSTS FOR APPROVED PAID MATERNITY 12
LEAVE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES; AND FOR OTHER 13
PURPOSES. 14
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Subtitle 17
TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING PAID 18
MATERNITY LEAVE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL 19
EMPLOYEES; AND TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION 20
OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION TO 21
PAY FOR INCURRED COSTS FOR APPROVED PAID 22
MATERNITY LEAVE. 23
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 25
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 6 -17-122 is amended to read as follows: 27
6-17-122. Paid maternity leave — Definitions. 28
(a)(1) Education personnel employed by An employee of a public school 29
district or an open-enrollment public charter school that elect to 30
participate under this section shall be eligible for up to twelve (12) weeks 31
of paid maternity leave when the employee: 32
(A) Has been employed by a public school district or an open -33
enrollment public charter school for one (1) year or more; 34
(B) Is female, and the leave is to be used for maternity 35
purposes following the: 36 As Engrossed: H1/16/25 H1/23/25 H3/31/25 HB1017
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(i) Birth of the employee's biological child; 1
(ii) Placement of an adopted child under one (1) year of 2
age in the home of the employee; or 3
(iii) Foster placement of an infant under one (1) year of 4
age; and 5
(C) Has not been disciplined for any leave abuse during the past 6
year from the time of application. 7
(2) An employee shall not be eligible for an additional twelve 8
(12) weeks of paid maternity leave under this section following the adoption 9
of a child if the employee took twelve (12) weeks of paid maternity leave 10
under this section after the initial foster placement of the same child in 11
the employee's home. 12
(b) As used in this section: 13
(1) “Cost-sharing” means joint, equal responsibility for the 14
cost shared between the State of Arkansas and a public school district or 15
open-enrollment public charter school that employs an individual considered 16
education personnel under this section; 17
(2)(1) “Education personnel” "Employee" means an individual 18
employed full-time by a public school district or an open-enrollment public 19
charter school in Arkansas for more than one (1) year; and 20
(3)(2) “Maternity leave” means partially or fully compensated 21
time away from work within the first twelve (12) weeks following the: 22
(A) Birth of a biological child to an individual 23
considered education personnel under this section employee; or 24
(B) Placement of an adoptive adopted child under one (1) 25
year of age in the home of an individual considered education personnel under 26
this section employee; or 27
(C) Foster placement of an infant under one (1) year of 28
age in the home of an employee . 29
(c)(1) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall create 30
and sign a standard cost-sharing agreement for paid maternity leave expenses 31
between paid by the division and to a public school district or an open-32
enrollment public charter school that elects to participate under this 33
section. 34
(2) At a minimum, the cost -sharing The agreement required under 35
subdivision (c)(1) of this section shall obligate the state and the public 36 As Engrossed: H1/16/25 H1/23/25 H3/31/25 HB1017
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school district or open -enrollment public charter school to each pay fifty 1
percent (50%) division to pay one hundred percent (100%) of incurred costs 2
for approved paid maternity leave. 3
(3) The division shall promulgate rules outlining: 4
(A) Management of a cost-sharing the agreement required 5
under subdivision (c)(1) of this section; 6
(B) Reimbursement processes; and 7
(C) Other related procedures required to implement this 8
section. 9
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/s/A. Collins 11
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APPROVED: 4/21/25 14
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