Alabama legislators cut back teacher paid parental leave bill

A bipartisan effort to give Alabama teachers paid parental leave is moving forward in the state legislature – but with some big changes.

After tense debate, a Senate committee voted 8-7 Wednesday to substitute a bill, SB305, that would give public school educators 12 weeks of parental leave. The new version of the bill will cut leave down to six weeks, and limit eligibility to women who give birth.

The substitute also does not cover leave for miscarriages, stillbirths or adoption for both parents.

“All of those things carry emotional and physical things with it for the woman especially, but also for that father to be there for that support,” said Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, the bill’s sponsor. “That is so important, and with the way that we’re always talking about pushing family and families bonding and staying as a unit, I think we need to do that.”

Currently, Alabama educators and school employees must build up a bank of sick leave days or take unpaid leave to care for a newborn or adopted child. Public school teachers generally are given 10 sick days each year.

Committee chair Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, said he proposed the substitute to match recent changes to another bill in the House, HB309, which is geared toward state employees.

State employees are currently required to use sick leave and personal days for parental leave but are given two weeks of paid leave in the case of adoption. In committee last week, lawmakers voted to cut the eight weeks of leave promised in HB309 down to six, and to limit eligibility to women.

“We get into this problem where one gets something and the other doesn’t, and we get into this back and forth,” Orr told the committee.

With five days left in the session, there’s not a lot of time to make changes to newer bills like Figures’. SB305 must still pass through both chambers before it can head to the governor’s desk.

Before the vote Wednesday, Figures said she was willing to negotiate the number of weeks of paid leave offered, but was blindsided by lawmakers’ decision to exclude men from the policy. She asked to postpone the changes until the bill goes to the full chamber, but was voted down.

“I think this is a hell of a thing that you are substituting my bill and I’ve told you my desires,” Figures told the committee. “I think it’s total disrespect. I brought this bill on behalf of school employees, and I brought it because I feel that it’s the right thing to do.”

Not only do teachers not get paid leave after adding a new person to their family, but in order to keep their health insurance, currently teachers have to pay the full amount of the premium.

SB305 would require employers to pay their portion of health insurance premiums during an employee’s parental leave. However, the bill would allow the employer to recover the cost of those health care premiums if an employee does not return to work after taking parental leave or leaves the employer within two years.

Paid parental leave for educators differs among states, and is offered in some of the nation’s largest school districts. Georgia and Tennessee recently passed laws giving educators six weeks of paid parental leave. Both states provide leave to both parents.

Under the Senate bill, employers would have to give the employee the same or an equivalent position upon returning from leave.

The leave would have to be taken within 12 months of a new child’s addition or it would be forfeited. The entire leave would have to be taken in a block unless the employer agrees to allow the employee to do otherwise.

If approved, the law becomes effective Jan. 1, 2025.

SB305 now awaits a vote on the Senate floor before it goes to the House. An amended version of HB309 will head to the Senate for final passage.