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