The bill, known as the Alabama State Employee Family First Paid Parental Leave Act, aims to provide paid parental leave for certain state employees in Alabama following the birth of a child or the placement of a child for adoption. It introduces a new chapter (Chapter 26B) to Title 36 of the Code of Alabama 1975, which outlines the terms and conditions under which eligible state employees can avail themselves of this benefit. The bill specifies that eligible state employees are entitled to up to eight weeks of paid parental leave, which can be used intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule within 365 days of the qualifying event. The leave is paid at 100% of the employee's base pay and does not require the employee to exhaust other forms of leave. Additionally, the leave has no cash value, cannot be used to calculate retirement benefits, and is not compensated upon separation from service, retirement, or death.

The bill also amends Section 36-26-35.2 of the Code of Alabama 1975 by deleting language related to the donation of leave for family reasons, including adoption. It requires the State of Alabama Personnel Department to adopt rules for the implementation of the act, provide written notice to state employees about their rights under this chapter, and submit an annual report to the Legislature on the use of parental leave by state employees. The act is set to become effective immediately upon its passage, with the first report due by October 1, 2025. The bill was read three times and passed with 98 yeas, 0 nays, and 4 abstentions.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 36-26B-1, 36-26B-1
Engrossed: 36-26B-1, 36-26-35